Hindu Human Rights 2008 Report

HINDUS IN SOUTH ASIA AND THE DIASPORA:
A Survey of Human Rights 2008
HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION

Hi
ndusi
nSouthAs
iaandt
heDias
por
a:
ASurv
eyofHumanRig
hts
2008
www.
HAF
sit
e.or
g
Mar
ch13,
2009
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”
(Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, Article 1)
“Religious persecution may shield itself under

the guise of a mistaken and over-zealous piety”
(Edmund Burke, February 17, 1788)
Endorsements of Hindu American Foundation's 4th Annual Report
“Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora:

A Survey of Human Rights 2007”
All of us share common values: a respect for other people, their cultures and the beliefs that they hold. But
as this report demonstrates, there are still too many instances where that respect is violated and people’s
rights are horribly abused. The Hindu American Foundation has done a great service by bringing these
human rights abuses to light. Working together, I believe we can deliver the basic freedoms every person
is due.
Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
I commend the Hindu American Foundation on its report, "Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey
of Human Rights 2007." This report importantly documents the plight of persecuted Hindus throughout
South Asia. As the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, I have seen how the growth of
radical Islam impacts the well-being of the Hindu population. Reports like this are important in
documenting these human rights abuses.
Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA)
As the world increasingly becomes a global village, it is important to monitor, acknowledge and work
towards promoting freedom of speech and conscience for all. Even though the Hindus are one of the oldest
and largest Religions of the World, the rights of Hindus in many countries have been systematically
violated. It is essential that all of us work towards bringing attention to these incidents, ensuring that
these rights are protected and we work towards promoting greater dialogue and harmony. It is incumbent
upon each of us to work to ensure a world free from religious hatred and violence, for not only ourselves,
but for the betterment of our future generations.
Bawa Jain
Secretary General, World Council of Religious Leaders
In issuing its 4th Annual Hindu Human Rights Report, the Hindu American Foundation has again done a
service for the community it represents – and for all of us who care about human rights. The portrait
painted by the Report of continuing human rights violations directed at Hindus is an important resource in
the battle for religious liberty and against religious persecution.
Richard T. Foltin
Legislative Director and Counsel
Office of Government and International Affairs
American Jewish Committee
Hindu American Foundation
Board of Directors
Mihir Meghani, M.D.
Nikhil N. Joshi, Esq., M.B.A.
Aseem R. Shukla, M.D.
Swaminathan Venkataraman
Managing Director and Legal Counsel
Suhag A. Shukla, Esq.
Director of Public Policy
Ishani Chowdhury, M.B.A.
Director of Development and Outreach
Sheetal Shah
Executive Council
Pawan Deshpande
Samir Kalra, Esq.
Arvind Chandrakantan, M.D.
Sangeetha Chandrakantan
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) is an advocacy group providing a progressive voice for over 2 million Hindu
Americans. The Foundation interacts with and educates leaders in public policy, academia, media, and the public at
large about Hinduism and global issues concernings Hindus, such as religious liberty, the portrayal of Hinduism, hate
speech, hate crimes, and human rights. By promoting the Hindu and American ideals of understanding, tolerance and
pluralism, HAF stands strong against hate, discrimination, defamation and terror.
The Hindu American Foundation is not affiliated with any religious or political organizations or entities. HAF seeks to
serve Hindu Americans across all sampradayas (Hindu religious traditions).
Acknowledgements
This is the fifth of our annual Hindu human rights reports. As in the past, numerous
grass-roots organizations were involved in collecting data about the violation of human
rights of Hindu minorities, and we thank them for sharing the information they have
collected. Chief among these organizations are the Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist,
Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) – which provided us with critical data of the daily
violence against the Hindu minority in Bangladesh; Human Rights Congress for
Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) – an organization that has been at the forefront of
publicizing the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh; Indo-American Kashmir Forum and the
Kashmir Taskforce – both have worked to bring the attention of the United States
government and media to the plight of Kashmiri Hindus; Panun Kashmir – working hard
to recover the lost properties and homes of Hindus forced to leave the Kashmir Valley;
Hindu Rights Action Force – working for the human rights of Hindu minorities in
Malaysia; Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD) – seeking to educate European media
and government about the status of human rights worldwide; and Asian Centre for
Human Rights (ACHR) – which keeps track of human rights abuses in Asia.
We acknowledge the work of global human rights organizations – Amnesty

International, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch and the Institute for Gulf Affairs –
in bringing to our attention the denial of human rights around the world. Also,
important historical information and contemporary updates were obtained from the
U.S. Department of State’s annual reports on religious freedom and human rights, and
the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’s (USCIRF) annual
reports.
HAF is indebted to the volunteers who have given their time and talents to contribute to
this report. These include Gayatri Arasaratnam, Arun Chandrakantan, Pooja Deopura,
Deepa Patel and Shelvin Prasad.
Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora:
A Survey of Human Rights – 2008
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The human rights of Hindu citizens are consistently violated in eight countries and one
state in India where Hindus constitute a minority: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, the Indian
state of Jammu and Kashmir, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad
and Tobago. This report documents the ongoing violations of human rights in these
countries.
HINDUS ACROSS THE DIASPORA
• Hindus, with a population of over one billion, constitute the third largest religious
group in the world.
• Hinduism is one of the oldest surviving religions and its origins can be traced back to
at least the third millennium BCE.
• Hindus are pluralistic in their beliefs and accept the myriad means of worship and
prayer available to human beings seeking spiritual enlightenment.
• Hindus in South Asia and many of the twenty million Hindus living outside of India
are subject to discrimination, terror, murder and other forms of violence, forced
conversions, ethnic cleansing, temple destruction, socio-political ostracization and
disenfranchisement. In some countries, fundamentalists from other religions
advance a discriminatory and non-inclusive agenda and promote hatred of religious
and ethnic minorities in league with politicians and other government officials.
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH
• In 1947, Hindus constituted nearly 30% of Bangladesh’s population. By 1991, 20

million Hindus were “missing” from Bangladesh. Today, Hindus comprise less than
10% of the population.
• Hindus of Bangladesh continue to be victims of ethnic cleansing waged by Islamic

fundamentalists that include daily acts of murder, rape, kidnappings, temple
destruction and physical intimidation.
Executive Summary i © Hindu American Foundation 2009

• Human rights activists and journalists are continuously harassed and abused in
Bangladesh.
• 258 acts of murder, rape, kidnappings, temple destruction and land grabs targeting
Hindus have been recorded in this report for the nine months in 2008 for which data
is available.
• Nearly 1.2 million or 44% of the 2.7 million Hindu households in the country were
affected by the Enemy Property Act 1965 and its post-independence version, the
Vested Property Act 1974.
HAF Recommendations:
1) The new Awami League government, led by Sheikh Hasina, must take substantial
and verifiable measures to ensure that attacks on Hindus and their institutions
immediately cease and bring to swift justice those political and radical religious
elements that have led the assault on Hindus and other minorities.
2) Bangladesh must repeal the anti-minority and racist laws such as the Vested Property
Act. Confiscated lands must be restored to the rightful, original owners.
3) Bangladesh should set up a Human Rights Commission and a Minorities Commission

to monitor the human rights situation and to provide redress to minority grievances.
4) The United States and other donor nations must demand accountability from the
Bangladesh Government and all aid to Bangladesh should be contingent on the
improvement of the human rights situation. Alternatively, U.S. and international aid
should be allocated for the economic development of the country’s minorities.
KINGDOM OF BHUTAN
• Bhutan held its first National Assembly elections in 2008, transitioning to a

Democratic Constitutional Monarchy.
• Bhutan is a multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society.
• Bhutan evicted over 100,000 Hindu minority and Nyingmapa Buddhists from
southern and eastern Bhutan in the early 1990s.
• More than 100,000 Bhutanese citizens, nearly one sixth of the kingdom's total
population of approximately 700,000, have been forced to leave or forcibly evicted
from the country by the royal regime due to their religio-ethnic identity.
Executive Summary ii © Hindu American Foundation 2009

• Over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees are living in refugee camps in Nepal managed by
the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), while 20,000 other
undocumented refugees are scattered outside the camps in Nepal and in several
Indian states without any help or legal status. The United States agreed to accept
60,000 Hindu refugees, with the first group arriving in 2008.
1) Bhutan must take practical and concrete steps to demonstrate its stated
commitment to a just resolution of the longstanding refugee crisis.
2) Bhutan, Nepal and the UNHCR should adopt a Memorandum of Understanding

(MOU) for voluntary repatriation that includes a clear statement of rights and
entitlements upon the refugees’ return to Bhutan - including full citizenship rights
and human rights protections.
3) Donors, UN agencies and Bhutan's other partners should insist on measures to

eliminate discrimination against the Hindu Lhotshampas and to ensure the
protection of their fundamental human rights and their right to participate as full
citizens of Bhutan.
REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
• In Fiji, Hindus constitute approximately 34% of the Christian majority state.
• Fijian Hindus continue to face hate speech and Hindu temples continue to be targets
of attack.
• The Methodist Church of Fiji has repeatedly called for the creation of a Christian
State.
• It is encouraging that fewer attacks on Hindu temples and Hindus were recorded in
2008 compared to previous years. Also encouraging is the interim government’s
stated commitment to the protection of the Hindu minority.
1) The Fijian government must respect the rights of all citizens, and the inherent
political bias against Hindus and ethnic Indians must be eradicated.
Executive Summary iii © Hindu American Foundation 2009

2) Fiji should repeal the “Truth and Reconciliation” (TRC) Bill and successfully prosecute
and punish the criminals of the 2000 coup.
3) Fiji must do more to protect Hindus from violence and hate speech. Furthermore the
government must safeguard Hindu temples from attacks.
4) The Fijian government must distance itself from Christian fundamentalists

promoting hatred against Hindus and Hinduism and avoid Christianization of its
institutions.
INDIAN STATE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
• The Maharaja of Kashmir legally ceded his kingdom to India in 1947 when Pakistan
invaded Kashmir in order to conquer the kingdom. Pakistan occupies about 35% of
the region, India governs approximately half, and China occupies the remainder of
the region including a portion ceded to it by Pakistan.
• India and Pakistan have fought major wars over Kashmir.
• Since the mid to late 1980s, Islamist terrorists, supported and trained by Pakistan,
have targeted Kashmir and are guilty of the large-scale ethnic cleansing of Hindus
from India’s Kashmir valley.
• 300,000 Kashmiri Hindus are refugees in their own country, sheltered in temporary
camps in Jammu and other parts of India.
• The year 2008 did not see any significant resolution to the plight of Hindu refugees
from Kashmir. They continue to be neglected by the Indian government and the
state of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Kashmiri Hindus must be allowed to return to their homes, must have their property
restored to them and must receive protection from the Indian government and the
Kashmir state government.
• Pakistan must permanently end its sponsorship of terror via direct military aid to
terror groups, sponsorship of terror camps in Pakistan and covert support to
terrorists by its Inter-Services Intelligence spy service.
Executive Summary iv © Hindu American Foundation 2009

MALAYSIA
• Malaysia is a self-declared Islamic Republic and Islam is the official religion of the
country despite Malaysia being a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country in which
Hindus, Christians and Buddhists are significant minorities. Minorities struggle to
maintain and practice their religions.
• The right to religious freedom has been progressively eroding in recent years. Ethnic
Malays are required to be Muslims, as they are born into Islam and do not have the
freedom to convert.
• The Hindu population faces increased discrimination and intimidation, including the
destruction of their temples and places of worship. The government continues to
treat pre-independence era Hindu temples differently than mosques from the same
era, and gives preference to mosques in the allocation of public funds and lands.
• Hindu activists and leaders have been systematically persecuted by government

officials and public dissent has been brutally repressed through the use of draconian
internal security laws.
• There have been several recent cases forcing Hindus and other minorities to deal
with the Islamic Sharia courts, where they face severe disadvantages.
1) Religious freedom should be allowed and encouraged for ethnic Malays and the
minority religious populations in the country.
2) Religious minorities should not be forced to deal with the country’s Islamic Sharia’s
courts.
3) The United States, United Nations, the international community, and human rights
groups should pressure the Malaysian government to protect Hindu temples from
desecration and destruction. Hindu places of worship that existed prior to
independence should be designated as temple property and title to the land should
be handed to the respective temple trustees/committees as has been done for pre-
independence era mosques.
4) The Malaysian Government should be urged to not discriminate in the allocation of

public funds and land for places of worship between Muslim and minority religious
groups.
Executive Summary v © Hindu American Foundation 2009

5) The Internal Security Act must be repealed and Hindu leaders prosecuted under the
repressive Act should be immediately released.
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN
• In 1947, Hindus were approximately 25% of the population of Pakistan. Now Hindus
constitute less than 1.6% of the population.
• Pakistan officially and routinely discriminates against non-Muslims through a variety

of discriminatory laws, such as blasphemy laws.
• On March 24, 2005, Pakistan restored the discriminatory practice of mandating the
inclusion of religious identity of individuals in all new passports.
• School textbooks continue to promote Islam, hatred and intolerance towards non-
Muslims, including Hindus.
• Islamists continue to extend their influence throughout the Federally Administered

Tribal Areas (FATA), and other parts of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP)
• Recurring reports point to an alarming trend of Hindu girls being kidnapped, raped,
held in madrassas (Islamic seminaries) and forcibly converted to Islam.
• Poor Hindus continue to be subjected to inhumane conditions through the bonded

labor system.
1) Pakistan should remove all blasphemy laws. Those imprisoned under blasphemy
laws should get their day in court within a period of two weeks. Long
imprisonments without court appraisal constitute human rights abuse.
2) Pakistan should reverse the 2005 decision mandating religious identification in

passports.
3) Pakistan should set up a Human Rights Commission and a National Minorities

Commission to monitor the human rights condition and to enable minorities to
enjoy the rights provided to the majority population.
4) Pakistan should reform its education system in order to remove inaccuracies about
other religions and promote tolerance and pluralism.
Executive Summary vi © Hindu American Foundation 2009

5) The United States should demand that Pakistan stop supporting and financing all
Islamic militants groups operating in the subcontinent. The United States must end
all military assistance to Pakistan.
6) The United States should dialogue with Pakistan on the issues of human rights and
religious freedom and dispatch a fact-finding committee organized by the United
States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to Pakistan.
THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
• Saudi Arabia is a monarchy, where the Qu’ran and Shari’a (Islamic law) serve as its
constitution. Its legal code is founded upon the conservative form of Sunni Islam,
known as Wahhabism. This permits judges to use capital or corporal punishment for
crimes, including murder, theft, sexual abuse, homosexuality and adultery.
• Non-citizens are required to carry identity cards, which identify cardholders as

“Muslim” or “non-Muslim.”
• There is no constitutional protection for the freedom of religion. Citizens are not
allowed to choose or change their religion.
• Non-Muslims cannot exhibit any outward religious clothing, text or symbol, and
cannot worship in public. Even private worship is prohibited and punished by the
Mutawwa’in or Saudi religious police.
• Intolerance of other religions is embedded in the kingdom’s educational institutions.
• Islamic law characterizes Hindus as polytheists. This puts Hindus in the same
category as those who practice “black magic” or “sorcery.”
• The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has branded Saudi Arabia
as a “country of particular concern,” but U.S. military, oil and other economic
interests in the region has diminished its ability to influence change. Saudi Arabia is
the center of Islamic fundamentalism and has funded Islamic extremism around the
world.
1) The United States government and the international community must continue to
pressure Saudi Arabia to change its Islamic authoritarian character. Unless the
United States changes its policy towards Saudi Arabia, minorities will continue to
Executive Summary vii © Hindu American Foundation 2009

face severe and overwhelming discrimination.
2) Saudi Arabia must end its support for terrorism and fundamentalist Islam. It must
promote basic civil and religious rights for its citizens and guest workers, and reform
its education system in order to remove inaccuracies about other religions. It should
promote tolerance and pluralism.
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA
• Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious nation that has been plagued by years of
ethnic conflict. The violent conflict between the Sinhala-majority Sri Lankan
government and the Tamil groups is the result of a combination of religious, ethnic
and linguistic factors. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists
in northern Sri Lanka erupted into war in 1983.
• Not all Tamils are Hindus and the LTTE, the primary Tamil-terrorist outfit, is not a
Hindu organization.
• The prolonged conflict is detrimental to all Sri Lankans, especially the large Hindu
minority population, which experiences an undue share of violence and
displacement.
• The plight of innocent civilians continued to deteriorate as fighting between

government forces and the Tamil Tigers intensified in 2008. Both were sides are
guilty of severe human rights violations.
1) There can be no military solution to ethnic conflicts. Both the LTTE and the Sri
Lankan government should pursue a course of peace in order to end the conflict.
2) HAF expresses grave concern that the Hindu institutions and Tamil culture in Sri
Lanka are severely threatened by the ongoing civil war and encourages all sides in
the conflict to protect Hindu institutions from harm.
3) The government must end its persecution of innocent Tamil civilians, and both sides
must ensure the protection of innocent civilians
4) The United States, Norway and the United Nations must continue to pressure all
parties involved to find an equitable, just and realistic resolution of the crisis.
Executive Summary viii © Hindu American Foundation 2009

REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
• The country is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious island nation with mostly Hindu Indo-
Trinidadians and Afro-Trinidadians accounting for most of the population. Roman
Catholics and Hindus make up the largest religious groups.
• The racial and religious animosity between Afro-Caribbean and Indo-Caribbeans has
been exacerbated over the years. Hindus are frequently subjected to discrimination,
hate speech and acts of violence.
• Indo-Trinidadians have been systematically denied government benefits and

employment in public sector jobs. Hindu institutions and festivals are subject to acts
of violence and are denied equal access to public funds.
1) The United States should encourage the current Trinidad government to abide by
the country’s Constitution and guarantee safety and security to Hindus and Indo-
Trinidadians.
2) The Trinidadian government should practice parity and equality in government

response to and support of various ethnic and religious groups and recognize Hindus
and Indians as equal partners in the rule and governance of the nation.
3) Trinidad must do more to protect Hindus from violence, hate speech, racial and
religious stereotyping. Furthermore the government must safeguard Hindu temples
from attacks.
4) The Trinidadian government must distance itself from Christian fundamentalists

promoting hatred against Hindus and Hinduism and avoid Christianization of its
institutions.
Executive Summary ix © Hindu American Foundation 2009

Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................... 1
People’s Republic of Bangladesh .................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 3
History/Background .................................................................................................................................... 4
Status of Human Rights, 2008 .................................................................................................................... 6
Violations of Constitution and International Law ..................................................................................... 11
Conclusion and Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 12
Kingdom of Bhutan ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 16
History/Background .................................................................................................................................. 17
Status of Human Rights, 2008 .................................................................................................................. 18
Violation of Constitution and International Law ...................................................................................... 21
Republic of the Fiji Islands ............................................................................................................................ 24
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 24
Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir ............................................................................................................. 30
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 30
Malaysia........................................................................................................................................................ 41
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 42
Islamic Republic of Pakistan ......................................................................................................................... 48
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 48
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ....................................................................................................................... 67
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 67
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ................................................................................................... 77
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 78
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago .................................................................................................................. 87
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 87
© Hindu American Foundation 2009

Appendix A International Acts, Conventions, Covenants and Declarations ................................................ 96
Bangladesh Enemy Property Act/Vested Property Act ............................................................................ 96
Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord of 1997 .................................................................................. 96
United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ....... 96
United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ....................................................... 97
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights........................................................................... 97
Appendix B Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh from January 1, 2008 to September 30, 2008. ................... 99
Appendix C Islamic Extremist Groups in South Asia ................................................................................... 122
People’s Republic of Bangladesh ............................................................................................................ 122
Islamic Republic of Pakistan ................................................................................................................... 123
© Hindu American Foundation 2009

Introduction
Of the nearly one billion Hindus in the world today, about 20 million live outside of
India. While Hindus comprise the majority in India and Nepal, Hindus constitute an
important minority in a number of countries around the world. These communities,
especially in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have experienced a tumultuous
history, and at various times, their human rights have been violated with impunity by
the majority communities. Such human rights violations have persisted for many
generations — with or without the connivance of the ruling governments — but have
rarely attracted the sustained attention of human rights agencies. It is our intention to
subject these human rights violations to regular scrutiny, which the fate of these
communities surely deserves. This fifth annual report covers human rights conditions in
nine nations and regions across the world during 2008: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, the
Indian state Jammu and Kashmir, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and
Trinidad and Tobago.
Followers of Hindu traditions constitute the third largest religious group in the world,
after Christians (about 2.1 billion) and Muslims (1.4 billion). The majority of Hindus live
in the Indian sub-continent and, numbering nearly 827 million people, constitute 80.5%
of the population of Indiai. However, the Hindu Diaspora reaches beyond the Indian
subcontinent to Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and North America
where they comprise substantial minorities. In Fiji and some Caribbean nations, Hindus
comprise of a significant portion of the population, with representation at the highest
levels of government. As a “spiritual community” of related religious and cultural
practices (the major religious groups within Hinduism are Vaishnava, Smartha, Shaiva,
and Shakta), Hindus do not adhere to a single Scripture, owe allegiance to a single
religious institution, follow one religious leader nor adhere to one set of worship,
practices and ritual. Hindus regard Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs as a part of their own
wider family though they constitute distinct religious traditions themselves. This report
excludes their particular concerns, though the fate of Buddhists in Tibet since 1950 is a
matter of tragic historical significance that has been the subject of investigation by
various international agencies.
While the issue of human rights is of global significance, this report focuses on ongoing
human rights violations in the nations/regions listed above. This report does not
investigate other human rights violations within India, such as religious conflict, abuse of
women or caste discrimination. The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) believes in the
importance of addressing those problems but they are beyond the scope of this report,
which focuses on countries and regions where Hindus are a minority.
Introduction 1 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

In the Foundation’s first report, published in 2005ii, we provided a brief summary of the
history of the South Asian region. The departure of the British colonialists in 1947 left
India divided into a Muslim majority Pakistan (made up of two regions – West and East
Pakistan) and a Hindu majority India. India embraced secularism, proclaiming the State
neutral between religions, but allowed minorities to retain their own sectarian practices
in areas like personal law. India established the largest and longest sustained democracy
in the region. Pakistan labeled itself the Islamic Republic of Pakistan with the adoption
of a Constitution based on Islamic jurisprudenceiii. It curtailed the political rights of
minorities, and Hindus, who constituted approximately 20-25% of the population in
West Pakistaniv and 30% in East Pakistan, were the predominant victims under the
Islamic dispensation. Over the sixty years of independence, the Hindu population has
dwindled to less than 2% in Pakistan (former West Pakistan), and to about 9% in
Bangladesh (former East Pakistan). East Pakistan seceded from West Pakistan with
Indian military assistance in 1971 following the genocide committed by the armed
forces of Pakistan against its own citizens. The new country was named Bangladesh. In
turn, rapid Islamization of the Bangladesh polity over the last decade has led to a
substantial rise in attacks against minority groups -- the largest minority constituency
being Hindu.
The Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir is the focus of territorial claims by Pakistan,
which has encouraged and abetted terrorism,v successfully expelling the entire Hindu
population of several hundred thousand from the Kashmir Valley through a campaign of
murder, rape and kidnappings. Pakistani military posturing and an alleged threat of
nuclear warfare have diverted attention from the reality of atrocities against Hindus in
Kashmir since 1989. Successive Indian governments have paid scant attention to the
fate of the Hindu minority of Kashmir because they have concluded that attempting to
address their legitimate concerns might constitute an avoidable distraction for the
political resolution of the dispute over Kashmir. The media in India and abroad have
taken the cue from this fateful governmental silence over the human rights violations of
Kashmiri Hindus by largely ignoring them. World human rights organizations have also
been muted in their response to the tragedy that has befallen Kashmiri Hindus.
HAF’s consequent reports reaffirmed the ongoing human rights abuses in the three
regions covered in the first report and also included the status of Hindus in Afghanistan
and Fiji.vi This fifth annual report, much larger in scope, will once again demonstrate
that Hindu citizens in South Asia and across the Diaspora are targeted victims of
grievous violations of universally recognized human rights. The absence of this issue
from the global dialogue on human rights and the manifest absence of substantive
documentation of human rights abuse against Hindus by prominent media sources and
non-governmental organizations dedicated to human rights issues continue to prompt
our investigations and reports. We provide context to our findings by examining the
legal frameworks of individual countries and the U. N. Human Rights Declaration and
various relevant conventions (see Appendix A).
Introduction 2 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

People’s Republic of Bangladesh
© CIA World Factbook
Area: 144,000 sq km
Population: 150,448,339 (July 2007 est.)
Religions: Muslim 88%, Hindu 10%, other 2% (2007)
Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, other 2% (includes tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims)
(1998)
Languages: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Indiavii
Introduction
After two years of political turmoil and extensive human rights violations, 2008
witnessed the end of Emergency Rule in Bangladesh. Initially imposed in 2006, the
Emergency was intended to deal with large-scale violence between rival political parties
and lasted till the end of 2008. Under Emergency Rule, military and police personnel
were authorized to arbitrarily arrest and detain citizens, use force to execute orders and
strictly regulate the freedoms of expression and assembly.viii According to Human Rights
Watch: “Tens of thousands of people – and perhaps as many as 200,000, according to
People’s Republic of Bangladesh 3 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

some reports – [were] arrested under the state of emergency without proper judicial
oversight.”ix
Towards the end of 2008, however, several restrictions imposed during the Emergency
were lifted, culminating in parliamentary elections in December. Prior to the elections,
several human rights organizations had expressed their concern for the safety of
minorities. In a media briefing, Amnesty International stated that:
Fear of attacks against minorities, including Hindus, is a real concern given the
electoral violence during and immediately after the parliamentary elections of
October 2001. Sporadic attacks against minorities had frequently occurred during
parliamentary elections in Bangladesh but the violence took an unprecedented
turn during the last elections in 2001… There are legitimate fears within the
human rights community and members of the Hindu minority that similar attacks
against Hindus could occur during the forthcoming elections.x
Although there were some reports of violence against minorities, the elections, which
brought Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League back to power, were widely considered
free and fair by international and domestic human rights organizations.xi
History/Background
Bangladesh was created in 1971 from the eastern wing of Pakistan. Its predominantly
Bengali population won independence from Pakistan after the India-Pakistan War of
1971. The conflict was preceded by the massacre of an estimated two million East
Pakistani citizens, and the ethnic cleansing of 10 million ethnic Bengalis (mainly Hindus),
who fled to India. In the summary of his report on the events, dated November 1, 1971,
U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (D - Massachusetts) wrote:
Field reports to the U.S. Government, countless eye-witness journalistic

accounts, reports of International agencies such as World Bank and
additional information available to the subcommittee document the
reign of terror which grips East Bengal (East Pakistan). Hardest hit have
been members of the Hindu community who have been robbed of their
lands and shops, systematically slaughtered, and in some places,
painted with yellow patches marked ‘H’. All of this has been officially
sanctioned, ordered and implemented under martial law from
Islamabad.xii
Furthermore, according to then American Consul-General and senior US diplomat in

Dhaka, Archer Blood, the Pakistani military was engaged in the, “mass killing of unarmed
civilians, the systematic elimination of the intelligentsia and the annihilation of the
Hindu population.”xiii Quite remarkably, this genocide has been largely erased from
public memory and the perpetrators have escaped unpunished, though identified in an

official report. Recently, however, Amnesty International’s secretary general Irene Khan
has called on Bangladesh to create a “truth commission” to investigate the war crimes
committed during the 1971 war.xiv
After independence, Bangladesh initially adopted a constitution with its basic structure
ensuring “Nationalism, Secularism, Socialism and Democracy.” In April 23, 1977,
however, Bangladesh renounced its commitment to secularism by amending the
Constitution to reflect a greater role for Islam in the national body politic. A new clause
was appended to the Constitution, which affirmed that, “The state shall endeavor to
consolidate, preserve and strengthen fraternal relations among Muslim countries based
on Islamic solidarity.” Furthermore, on June 9, 1988, the Constitution was amended
again, making Islam the state religion and prescribing that the principle of absolute trust
and faith in Allah would be the basis of all action.xv These actions began a steady and
gradual move towards Islamization, resulting in the increased discrimination and
persecution of minorities, particularly Hindus.xvi
The process of Islamization rapidly expanded in 2001 with the election of the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Khaleda Zia, and its Islamist allies. Following
the elections, the BNP coalition and its supporters unleashed a large-scale campaign of
violence targeting the Hindu community that lasted more than 150 days. During that
period, there were reportedly more than 10,000 cases of human rights abuses
committed against minorities.xvii According to Refugees International, “Scores of Hindu
women and girls were raped. In some cases, they were gang raped in front of their male
relatives. Hindus were also assaulted on the streets, in their homes and at their
workplaces. Systematic attacks resulted in a mass migration of Hindus to India and, in
particular, to the bordering state of Tripura. The government did little to prosecute or
investigate the violence.”xviii Global Human Rights Defence estimates that
approximately 500,000 Hindus sought refuge in India following the election violence.xix
Alongside the increased role of Islam in politics, Bangladesh has also witnessed an
explosion of madrasas (Islamic seminaries), teaching the same fundamentalist version
of Islam that inspired the Taliban. The massive proliferation of madrasas,
estimated at 64,000, is seen as an intentional effort to change “Bangladesh’s culture of
religious tolerance.”xx Moreover, activity by Muslim militants and radical
organizations has significantly increased in recent years. For instance, since 1999,
bombings have left over 181 people dead and more than 1,700 injured.xxi
Decline of the Hindu Population
At the time of Partition in 1947, the Hindu population, in what is now Bangladesh, was
approximately 31%.xxii By 1961, Hindus comprised 19% of the population, and by 1974,
the Hindu community had further declined to 14%. According to Saleem Samad, a
journalist and human rights observer, in 1991 the Hindu population in Bangladesh
should have been 32.5 million, considering normal rates of growth.xxiii The actual

population, however, was only 12.5 million. By this calculation, the number of Hindus
missing from Bangladesh over two decades ending in 1991, is 20 million. This figure
includes both those persons killed or forced to flee the country. The number of Hindus
that fled Bangladesh between 1964 and 1991 was estimated at, “5.3 million people or
535 people per day.”xxiv
Bangladesh now has a total population of approximately 150 million people, only 10% of
whom are Hindus (some estimates place the figure at 9%).xxv Consequently, the Hindu
community in Bangladesh has dropped from 31% to 10% in a span of 60 years.
Status of Human Rights, 2008

In 2008, the human rights situation in Bangladesh continued to deteriorate as religious
minorities were subjected to widespread violence and human rights abuses, often with
the direct support of government forces and Islamist parties. The gang rape of women
and girls, murder, beatings, harassment, kidnappings, attacks on temples, looting of gold
and jewelry and illegal occupation of land constitute the daily litany of human rights
abuses suffered by Hindus, tribal people and to a lesser extent Christians and Buddhists.
The large number of attacks demonstrates the systematic use of violence as a means to
intimidate Hindus and force them to leave Bangladesh.xxvi Hindus also face significant
economic and social disadvantages, with severe under-representation in government and
military jobs.xxvii According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom’s
2008 Report: “Hindus and other non-Muslims in Bangladesh face societal discrimination
and are disadvantaged in access to jobs in the government, armed forces and police, as
well as public services and the legal system. Religious minorities are also
underrepresented in elected political offices, including the national parliament.”xxviii
A comprehensive list documenting the atrocities committed against Hindus in

2008 is included in Appendix B. Consequently, the remainder of this section provides an
overview of the nature and extent of abuse faced by the Hindu community in
Bangladesh.
As in the past we have relied on Bangladesh-based human rights organizations for data
on human rights abuses. The chief provider of information was the Bangladesh Hindu
Bouddha Christian Oikiya Parishad - Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity
Council (BHBCOP)xxix
Religious Freedom
Attacks on Temples/Religious Sites

Attacks on Hindu temples, festivals and religious sites have become increasingly
frequent in recent years. This alarming trend continued in 2008 with a number of

reported incidents. The following examples are meant to illustrate the extent and scope
of attacks on Hindu religious sites and symbols.
In early February, 25 Hindu families were attacked and looted by approximately 200
Muslim fundamentalists at Radha Gobinda Sebashram (a religious site) in Bagerhat
District, while participating in four days of religious programs. The incident left at least
30 people injured.xxx Moreover, in April, Islamic extremists destroyed images of several
Hindu deities, including Kali, Sheetola, Radha and Krishna and Durga at a 200 yr-old
temple in Barisal District.xxxi And during June, a group of unidentified men attacked and
looted nine separate Hindu temples, dispersed throughout Chittagong District, over a
span of 20 days. More than ten lakh taka (1,000,000 in Bangladeshi currency) worth of
valuables, including gold ornaments, were stolen from the temples.xxxii
Temples and religious sites are especially vulnerable during Hindu religious festivals,
particularly the widely celebrated Durga Puja (dedicated to the Mother Goddess Durga),
which takes place every October. For instance, prior to Durga Puja in 2008, there were
several reported attacks on temples and numerous images of the Goddess Durga
created for the festival were desecrated or destroyed.xxxiii
General Violence
Attacks on Minorities
The Hindu community in Bangladesh endured repeated acts of violence and
persecution in 2008, leading to an environment of fear and insecurity.
In particular, members of the Hindu business community are the frequent targets of
Islamic extremists and criminals.xxxiv A recent incident that illustrates the problem was
an attack by a group of 40-45 armed men on the home of Sunil Chowdhury, a Hindu
businessman, in Chattogram District. The attackers stole more than 30 lakhs taka
(3,000,000 in Bangladeshi currency) worth of goods, including four lakhs (400,000) in
cash and large amounts of gold. Two people were also stabbed during the incident.xxxv
Furthermore, in August, unidentified men broke into the home of Narayan Chandra Pal,
a Hindu banker, stabbed him and stole 70,000 taka in cash and 50 grams of gold
ornaments.xxxvi
The abduction of Hindus, often accompanied by ransom demands, is also a routine

occurrence in Bangladesh. Tragically, many of the kidnapped victims turn up dead. For
instance, in January, the dead body of Sushanta Saha, a Hindu college student, was
recovered from a small pond near his home 52 days after first being abducted.xxxvii

Violence Against Women
Violence against women is a common weapon used to intimidate and harass minority
communities across the world. It has similarly been used in Bangladesh as a means to
attack Hindus. For instance, in the period immediately following the 2001 elections,
approximately 1,000 Hindu women and girls were raped.xxxviii
According to a recent report from Global Human Rights Defence: “In Bangladesh, gang
rape has become a major tool of political terror, forcing minorities to flee and has
proven more effective than murder. The victims have all been women belonging to
either of the ethnic/religious minorities. Neither little girls nor pregnant women and the
elderly are spared. The perpetrators are men belonging to various branches of Muslim
extremist political parties, including direct branches to the ruling party BNP (e.g. various
student wing’s of BNP like JCD [Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal], Jubo Dal).”xxxix The report
goes on to state that rape has been used to shame Hindu society and as a
genocidal device to drive Hindus out of Bangladesh. In addition, government officials
have failed to take adequate measures to prevent and prosecute such crimes.xl
The systematic kidnapping, rape and murder of minority women, particularly young
Hindu girls, continued unabated in 2008. While there were several reported
incidents, only a few have been included in this report to illustrate the nature and
brutality of the attacks. For example, in January, Chameli Tripura, a young Hindu girl,
was abducted on her way home from the Sonai Agha Government Primary School in
Khagrachari District, and later gang-raped and murdered.xli During another incident in
Rangpur District, two Muslims raped Adori Rani, a Hindu student at Ranipukur High
School. She was so scarred by the incident that she went home and committed suicide
by strangling herself with her own scarf.xlii
Similarly, a 13 year-old Hindu girl, Mili Rani Malakar, was abducted and gang-raped by
several men, including a local Muslim political leader, Abdul Latif. Following the attack,
the perpetrators threatened and intimidated the girl and her family in order to force
them to drop their police complaint. The victim later committed suicide by lighting
herself on fire with gasoline.xliii And in a disturbing incident in May, a seven year-old
indigenous girl was brutally raped by a Muslim man.xliv
Rapes and kidnappings of Hindus are often accompanied by forced conversions to Islam.
According to an investigation by Global Human Rights Defence, a 19 year-old Hindu girl
from Natore District was allegedly abducted, raped for a month, mentally and physically
tortured and then forcibly converted to Islam.xlv

Social Persecution
Land Encroachment/Evictions
Land encroachment is one of the major issues faced by the Hindu minority in
Bangladesh and includes the illegal occupation of land, homes, businesses and temples.
The problem began when the former Pakistani government implemented the Enemy
Property Act (EPA) following the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war. The Act officially designated
Hindus as “enemies” and was used to confiscate land and property belonging to Hindus.
Subsequently, after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the EPA remained in
effect and was simply renamed in 1974 as the Vested Property Act. As a result, nearly
1.2 million Hindu families, or 44% of all Hindu households in Bangladesh, were affected
by the EPA and its post-independence version, the Vested Property Act.xlvi
In an effort to return the “vested” properties to their original Hindu owners, the Vested
Property Return Bill (VPRB) was passed in 2001, and the Vested Property Act (VPA)
was abolished. But the Bill, the language of which remains relatively the same as the
VPA/EPA and maintains the same discriminatory effect, brought little relief to Hindus,
who continued to be deprived of their property in large numbers. According to a study
by Abul Barkat of Dhaka University, nearly 200,000 Hindu families have lost or been
robbed of 122,000 bighas of land (one bigha equals 1333.33 sq.metres/1594.65 sq.
yards/0.33 acres), including their homes, in the six years since the Vested Property Act
was annulled. Overall, Hindus have been robbed of a combined 2.2 million acres of
land. At the current market price, the value of those 2.2 million acres is Taka 2.52 billion
(US $36 million at a rate of $1 = 70 Taka), which is more than half of the country’s gross
domestic product.xlvii
Land-grabbing in Bangladesh operates through a system of force and deception,

supported and patronized by influential politicians and political organizations. Between
2001 and 2006, “[f]orty-five percent of the land grabbers were affiliated with the BNP,
31% were Awami League members, 8% were affiliated with the Jamaat-e-Islami and 6%
were with the Jatiya Party and other political organizations.”xlviii
In the first nine months of 2008 alone, there were at least 63 reported
incidents involving the illegal occupation or attempted occupation of Hindu owned
properties. These incidents were invariably accompanied by violence, often resulting in
serious injuries to the Hindu owners and their families.xlix For example, in May, Sumita
Bala Dhar, a 70 yr-old Hindu woman, was slaughtered by a group of Muslims who were
attempting to illegally occupy her land.l
In another incident, a group of Muslim fundamentalists forcibly occupied land owned by

Sharat Chandra Biswas ten days after his death and evicted his family from the property.
Subsequently, they tried to kill the family, who were attempting to recover their land.li

And in June of 2007, more than 10,000 Hindus faced eviction from their land in Chakuli,
Mirpur, outside of Dhaka. Although the Hindu community owned the land and was
protected by a High Court injunction, the army cantonment board actively worked to
evict the Hindu residents and illegally occupy their properties.
Cantonment Board officials reached the area on June 6, 2007 to demolish the village
homes and temple situated on the property, but had to postpone the operation due to
rain. The large number of Hindus residing in the enclave remains in imminent danger of
being evicted at any time.lii
Chittagong Hills Tract

The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) located in southeast Bangladesh is home to 13 separate
indigenous tribes collectively known as the Jumma. The tribes belong to different
religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. Although the region is replete
with natural resources, it is economically underdeveloped and poorer than other parts
of the country. Beginning in 1971, after Bangladesh’s independence, there was
an increase in tension between the tribal population of CHT and the central government
resulting in armed conflict. Consequently, the government moved large numbers of
armed forces into the region and supported a policy of settling Bengali Muslims from
other parts of the country into CHT. Between 1964 and 1991, approximately 400,000
Bengali Muslims were resettled into the CHT by government officials.liii
In addition, Islamic groups have intensified and expanded their activities in CHT, leading
to increased Islamization and resentment from the indigenous tribes. These radical
groups have also incited Bengali Muslim settlers to attack the Jumma people.liv
Despite the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord signed by the government and
indigenous tribes in 1997, massive human rights violations have continued in CHT,
including encroachment of indigenous lands, forced migrations, violence, destruction of
religious sites and the detention and torture of tribal activists. During Emergency Rule
in 2007, several indigenous activists were arrested and detained by Bangladeshi security
forces. Human rights groups assert that some of the detained persons were tortured
and harassed while in police custody.lv Since the conflict began, more than 65,000
tribal people have fled to India, and far greater numbers have become internally
displaced in other parts of Bangladesh.lvi
In 2008, there were several reported incidents targeting the Jumma tribes. For instance,
in February, Tapan Chakma, a member of the Chittagong Hill Tracts’ Janasanghati Samiti
(a political party representing indigenous tribes), was shot to death. Opponents of the
Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord were suspected of being behind the murder.lvii And
in another incident in April, a Muslim man forcibly occupied a crematorium used by
more than 100 tribal families.lviii
Furthermore, the previous year, the military initiated the resettlement of 800 Bengali
Muslim families in Sadhana Tila, an area encompassing 300 acres of land, thereby

evicting the indigenous tribal population. The land also housed a Buddhist
temple, which was desecrated by some of the Bengali settlers.lix
The conflict between the tribes of the CHT and the central government remains
unresolved as the Jumma people continue to suffer at the hands of government forces
and Bengali Muslim settlers.
Islamic Extremism
Islamic extremism has grown exponentially in recent years, with a number of
fundamentalist organizations and political parties operating throughout Bangladesh.
Islamists have been actively advocating for the creation of an Islamic state under Sharia
law and continue to preach an intolerant form of Islam. Moreover, many extremist
groups have been linked to terrorist violence and recent bombings and regularly
intimidate, harass and attack minorities. Some of the more notable organizations
include Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), an Islamist political party involved in attacks on Hindus
following the 2001 elections; Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the youth wing of JeI involved
in political and religious violence; and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), the largest
militant Muslim organization in Bangladesh.lx
For a more complete list of Islamic groups in Bangladesh, please see Appendix C.
Violations of Constitution and International Law

Constitution of Bangladesh
The Constitution of Bangladesh is designed to protect the human rights of all persons
living in the country, regardless of race, religion or sex. Article 11 of the Constitution
explicitly states: “The Republic shall be a democracy in which fundamental human rights
and freedoms and respect for the dignity and worth of the human person shall be
guaranteed.”lxi Article 28 further provides that: “The State shall not discriminate against
any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth,” while Article
31 declares that the protection of the law is, “... the inalienable right of every citizen,
wherever he may be.”lxii
Despite constitutional assurances of equal protection, however, minorities, human

rights activists and journalists face unrestrained violence and persecution.
Moreover, rape is used as a weapon to subjugate and terrorize Hindu and tribal
women. The Constitution also provides freedom of religion to all of its citizens under
Article 41, which states: “Every citizen has the right to profess, practice or propagate
any religion [and] every religious community or denomination has the right to establish,
maintain and manage its religious institutions.”lxiii The attacks on Hindu temples, the
destruction of Hindu deities and the disruption of Hindu festivals are in direct violation
of this basic constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.

International Human Rights Law
In addition to Bangladesh’s constitutional human right guarantees, its accession to the

United Nation’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) occured on
September 6, 2000.lxiv According to Article 2 of the ICCPR: “Each State Party to the
present Covenant undertakes to respect and to ensure to all individuals within its
territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the present Covenant,
without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or
other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”lxv Similar to
Article 41 of Bangladesh’s Constitution, ICCPR Article 18 states, “Everyone shall have the
right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to
have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in
community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in
worship, observance, practice and teaching.”lxvi And most importantly, Article 27
maintains, “In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist,
persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with
the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice
their own religion, or to use their own language.”lxvii As demonstrated throughout this
report, far from being protected, the ethnic and religious minorities within Bangladesh
are continuously harassed, pillaged, raped and driven from their homes with no
corrective action by the government. Although Bangladesh agreed to this international
covenant over eight years ago, its government has yet to enforce the rights protected
under the CCPR.
Bangladesh has also agreed to the United Nation’s International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms for Racial Discrimination, which defines “racial discrimination”
as, “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, color, descent, or
national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the
recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and
fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of
public life.”lxviii Article 2 of the Convention states in part: “Each State Party undertakes
to engage in no act or practice of racial discrimination against persons, groups of
persons or institutions and to ensure that all public authorities and public institutions,
national and local, shall act in conformity with this obligation.”lxix The Vested Property
Return Bill of 2001 remains in clear violation of Article 2 of the Convention as it is a form
of racial discrimination, which directly targets minority groups within Bangladesh,
particularly Hindus. Again, no attempts have been made by the Bangladesh government
to rectify this discrimination.
Conclusion and Recommendations

Bangladesh was created after the India-Pakistan War of 1971 that was preceded by the
massacre of an estimated two million East Pakistani citizens and the ethnic cleansing of
nearly 10 million Bengalis (mostly Hindus) who fled to India. The Hindu population in

Bangladesh has steadily declined over the years, from 31% in 1947 to only 10% today.
Recently, Hindus have become increasingly vulnerable with the ascendancy of Islamist
parties and radical Muslim organizations.
The condition of Hindus and other minorities continued to worsen in 2008 as they were
subjected to rampant violence and oppression. Emergency Rule, which was imposed in
2006 and remained in place till the end of 2008, resulted in widespread human rights
violations. Under Emergency Rule, government forces acted with impunity, resulting in
thousands of arbitrary arrests, torture, extrajudicial killings and suppression of the
media and political activity. The State of Emergency finally came to an end in December
2008, when parliamentary elections were held.
As stated in earlier reports, the Bangladesh Government must implement the following
recommendations in order to significantly improve the human rights situation in the
country.
Rabindra Ghose, a Bangladesh human rights activist, has discussed the necessary steps
to address the large scale encroachment of Hindu owned land, which are listed below:
• The Vested Property Act (VPA), as an encroachment on the law of inheritance,

must be explicitly abolished;
• A list containing details (name, address, amount of land and other assets
dispossessed by type and year of dispossession, and current status) of those
affected by Enemy Property Act (EPA/VPA) must be published by the
Government;
• All activities related to the identification and enlistment of any property as

vested must be banned;
• All vested property under government custody must be returned to the original
owners or their legal heirs who are permanent residents of Bangladesh;
• Property must not be seized from any non-Muslim in Bangladesh under the
vested property administration if the owners of the property, or their legal
inheritors, are in possession of that property;
• All 99 year leases of vested properties must be declared null and void, and the
ownership rights of the original owners or their inheritors restored;
• All vested temple property and places of cremation must be un-vested and
brought under public trust;
• The law of inheritance must be enforced with adequate provision for inheritance
by female heirs.

HAF also supports the call by the International Bangladesh Foundation, a British
group led by Lord Dholakia and Lord Avebury. The Foundation has urged the following
initiatives:lxx
• That the Government of Bangladesh establish an Inspectorate of Madrasas, and

close down those which are being used to incite the commission of criminal
offences and communal hatred;
• That the Government of Bangladesh ensure the independence of the Judiciary

and prevents and reverses party politicization of the police, administration,
judiciary and other important institutions;
• That the Government of Bangladesh repeal the 5th and 8th Amendments of the
Constitution and the anti-minority and racist laws such as the vested property
legislation;
• That the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord of 1997 be implemented and
the demographic transformation of the CHT under military occupation be ended;
• That the Government of Bangladesh in accordance with the constitutional rights

of the people, provide equal rights to all minorities;
• That the Government of Bangladesh establish a permanent and independent

commission for the promotion of ethnic, gender and religious equality;
• That donors, including the World Bank, USAID, the European Union and others,
ask the Bangladesh government to concentrate on good governance and, in
particular, on the maintenance of stable democracy in Bangladesh based on
respect for human rights, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary;
and
• That an international civil society network be established to monitor the

progress of Bangladesh towards compliance with international human rights
standards, to make representations to governments and the UN Human Rights
Commission and to hold further meetings.
As noted in HAF’s prior annual human rights reports, attacks against Hindus in
Bangladesh constitute the most serious threat to the Hindu community anywhere in the
world.lxxi

Documented Attacks on Hindus
Between January 1, 2008 and September 30, 2008lxxii
Rape 15
Land-Grab/Attempted Land-Grab 63
Temple Attacks 47
Kidnappings 22
Murder 39
Attacks/Looting/Intimidation/Harassment 115
Other 5
(Please see Appendix B for complete Details)
The data provided above is courtesy of BHBCOP, and covers the first nine months of
2008. Unfortunately, many incidents of human rights abuse against minorities are
either unreported or not comprehensively and effectively documented by the media
and human rights observers. The work of human rights groups is severely limited due to
the strain and pressure they face from vigilante groups and police authorities. Thus, the
exact number of violations is difficult to obtain.

Kingdom of Bhutan

Area: 47,000 sq km
Population: 2,327,849. Note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2007 est.)
Religion: Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%;

Buddhism is the state religion; Hinduism is officially recognized but discouraged;
Christianity is not recognized.lxxiii
Ethnicity: Sarchokpas (40% -- Buddhist), Lhotshampas (35% -- Hindus who speak Nepali
and Hindi), Ngalungs/Ngalongpa (20%), Brokpas, Doyas, Bumthangpas, Khengpa and
Adivashis.lxxiv
National Language: Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese
speak various Nepalese dialects.lxxv
Location: Southern Asia, between China and India
Introduction
Bhutan is a multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-lingual society. However, according
to its former King: “Pluralism [is] only practical for a larger country where a diversity of
customs, traditions and culture enriches that nation. A small country like Bhutan cannot
afford the luxury of such diversity which may impede the growth of social harmony and
Kingdom of Bhutan 16 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

unity among its people.”lxxvi This attitude led to a series of policies aimed at ethnic and
religious cohesion, which resulted in systematic persecution of the minority Hindu
population.
In the name of national integration, the government implemented various racist and
discriminatory policies such as the “One Nation, One People” policy aimed at forced
homogenization of a multi-ethnic society. This policy was designed to annihilate the
culture, religion and language of Lhotshampas, and other minority ethnic, religious and
linguistic groups. Under this policy, all other ethnic and minority groups are required to
disregard their distinct social and cultural identities and conform to the socio-religious
framework created by the politically and economically dominant Drukpa Kargyudpa, to
which the royal family belongs. This dangerous ideology has already led to the
expulsion and deprivation of rights of the Hindu Lhotshampas and other dissidents,
through intimidation and the use of force.
In addition, the State has used Buddhism as a political tool and in a manner that suits
the interests of the ruling elite. Consequently, over the years the Bhutanese polity has
become increasingly communalized. Moreover, politics is practiced along ethnic lines
and has been monopolized by members of one ethnic group, the Drukpa Kargyudpa.
According to the Centre for Protection of Minorities and Against Racism and
Discrimination in Bhutan (CEMARD-Bhutan), the, “human rights situation in Bhutan
began to deteriorate from the early 1990s,” and that the genesis of the present political
crisis in Bhutan is the result of, “fundamental weaknesses arising from the socio-political
institutions and feudal attitudes.” CEMARD claims that these institutions and attitudes
have worked towards creating a national identity based on the narrow Drukpa
Kargyudpa tradition of Mahayana Buddhism, and the imposition of a Drukpa Kargyudpa
culture and values on a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society.lxxvii
Although the former monarchy is now transitioning to a democracy, many of the

discriminatory policies favoring Buddhists and Buddhist culture remain in place.
History/Background
Bhutan has been ruled by an absolute monarchy since 1907. The fourth hereditary King
Jigme Singye Wangchuck shifted power to his heir Crown Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel
Wangchuck on December 9, 2006. Prior to the Wanghuck dynasty coming to power, the
country was under the administrative control of the Buddhist theocratic leader
Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel.
The former monarchy unveiled its first draft Constitution in 2005, which was
subsequently accepted by the Parliament. According to the draft Constitution, Bhutan
will be a “Democratic Constitutional Monarchy” indicating that power will remain with
the King, thereby preventing the establishment of a true democracy.

On March 24, 2008, Bhutan held its first general elections for the National Assembly.lxxviii
Two parties – the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) and the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) – registered and contested the elections. The third political party, the Bhutan
National Party (BNP), had its registration papers rejected.
Bhutan is home to a number of ethnic and religious groups, including Drukpa Buddhists
and the Hindu Lhotshampas. Although Drukpa Buddhists are politically and religiously
dominant, Lhotshampas comprise a substantial minority. The Lhotshampas are
descendents of Nepalese who moved to the southern lowlands of Bhutan in the
nineteenth century. The Hindu Lhotshampas remained largely unintegrated with
Bhutan’s Buddhist Druk majority. However, under Bhutan’s Nationality Law of 1958 they
were allowed to hold government jobs and enjoy Bhutanese citizenship. By the 1980s,
however, Bhutan’s king and the ruling Druk majority expressed concern over the rapidly
growing Lhotshampa population. There was also concern about the influx of Nepali
migrants into Bhutan and the higher birth rate of the Lhotshampas. The Druks feared
that this demographic population shift threatened their predominance in society and
Buddhist culture.lxxix
During the 1980s, the Bhutanese authorities adopted a series of nationalist policies that
sought to undermine the influence of the ethnic Nepalis. In 1985, the government
established new eligibility requirements for Bhutanese citizenship that disenfranchized
many ethnic Nepalis, depriving them of their citizenship and civil rights despite their
longstanding residence in Bhutan. In addition, the government introduced measures to
enforce rigidly the Drukpa dress code and forbid the use of Nepali in the educational
curriculum.lxxx
The government pursued an increasingly violent pogrom of intimidation of the

Lhotshampas in southern Bhutan. Their property was destroyed, and activists were
arbitrarily detained and tortured. Individuals were forced to sign ‘voluntary migration
certificates’ before being expelled from the country. In December 1990, the authorities
announced that Lhotshampas who could not prove they were residents of the country
before 1958 must leave the country. This made tens of thousands of Lhotshampas
stateless, forcing them to flee to Nepal and the Indian state of West Bengal. It is
estimated that more than 100,000 Bhutanese citizens, approximately one-sixth of the
kingdom’s total population of around 700,000, have been forced to leave.lxxxi

There are a number of human rights issues facing Bhutanese minorities, including a lack
of religious freedom, forced ethnic and religious assimilation and the status of Hindu
refugees. The following sections provide an overview of the human rights situation in
Bhutan.

Religious Freedom
Although the Bhutanese government allows for freedom of religion, its

policies actively discriminate against non-Buddhist minorities, particularly
Hindu Lhotshampas.
For instance, the Bhutanese government officially subsidizes Buddhist

temples, monasteries and institutions and provides financial aid to large
numbers of the country’s Buddhist monks. In contrast, reports indicate
that Hindus are routinely denied permission to build new Hindu temples
and no longer receive financial assistance for temple renovation or
construction. Hindu groups suggest that they have been unable to build
new temples since the early 1990s.lxxxii
In addition, Bhutanese law mandates the reservation of ten seats in the 150-seat
National Assembly and two seats in the 11-member Royal Advisory Council for Buddhist
monks. Although non-Buddhists may work for the government, no similar statutory
provisions exist reserving seats for Hindus or other minorities. Furthermore, according
to the State Department: “NGO representatives living outside the country claimed that
only Drukpa Kagyupa and Ningmapa Buddhist religious teaching was permitted in
schools and that Buddhist prayer was compulsory in all government-run schools.” Local
NGOs assert, however, that the prayers are nondenominational and are not
required.lxxxiii
Social Persecution
Refugees/Third Country Resettlement

In the early 1990s, Bhutan forcibly evicted more than 100,000 ethnic Lhotshampa
Hindus, nearly one sixth of the kingdom's total population of approximately 700,000. As
of December 2006, there were between 106,000 and 108,000 Bhutanese refugees living
in seven refugee camps in eastern Nepal managed by the United Nations High
Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Moreover, an additional 15,000 to 20,000
undocumented refugees were scattered outside the camps in Nepal and several Indian
states without any assistance or legal status.lxxxiv
Foreign governments have spent approximately 20 million dollars per year on assistance
and protection programs. Children are provided with education to the secondary-school
level, and the Lhotshampa leadership takes an active part in administering the camps.
However, there is considerable frustration among the refugees over their prolonged
exile. These frustrations are pronounced among young people who constitute the
highest proportion of the refugee population and for whom there are few opportunities
for further education, employment and advancement.

In addition, in recent years the living conditions in the refugee camps have been
deteriorating, particularly after the UNHCR started decreasing the supply of relief items
and phasing out a number of its humanitarian programs, which it had agreed to provide
when the UNHCR signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
government of Nepal in 1991.
In March 2008, many of the refugees were traumatized when a fire destroyed the
Goldhap camp in southeastern Nepal leaving 10,000 refugees homeless. Aid agencies
and the Nepal government rushed in emergency food and water and made provisions
for temporary shelter.lxxxv
Efforts toward arriving at a solution for the protracted refugee situation have been
difficult despite attempts at negotiation between neutral third parties and the
governments of Bhutan, Nepal and India. The government of Nepal opposed local
integration and pushed towards the refugees’ eventual repatriation to Bhutan. Offers of
third-country resettlement from the international community have created serious
division and debate within the refugee communities. The majority of refugee leaders in
Nepal, who view repatriation as the only durable solution, oppose the plan.
International observers, particularly human rights organizations, say Bhutan’s behavior
towards the Lhotshampas is tantamount to ethnic cleansing given the Bhutanese
government’s refusal to pursue any resolution of this crisis.lxxxvi
The United States has recently agreed to accept 60,000 of these refugees and the first
round of refugees has started arriving in the United States and will be scattered
throughout the country in large cities. Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, New Zealand,
Austria and Canada have also shown willingness to accept the Bhutanese refugees.
Institutional Discrimination
On January 6, 1989, the King issued a royal decree called Driglam Namzha as part of the
promotion of a distinct national identity and the “One Nation, One People” policy. The
policy deals with matters such as how to eat, how to sit, how to speak, how to dress and
how to bow down before authorities in true, medieval, feudalist style. The dress code,
which came into enforcement from May 1, 1989, strictly banned both men and women
from wearing any dresses other than the type worn by the royal elites: Gho for men and
Kira for women (robe like dresses).lxxxvii
The guidelines set forth by the former King imposed the Drukpa Kargyudpa traditions
and customs on the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society. The Driglam Namzha
decree had its greatest impact on the minority Hindu Lhotshampas. For instance, the
teaching of the Nepali language, spoken by the Lhotshampas, was removed from the
school curriculum and the Dzonkha language, developed in the 1980s, made

compulsory. Moreover, naturalization of citizens was based on the ability to speak and
write Dzonkha.
According to CEMARD, “The feudalistic attitude of the royal regime has imposed and
prescribed strict adherence to the set of Buddhist dogmas and beliefs among the
Bhutanese population. Driglam Namzha designed within the traditional attire of Drukpa
Kargyudpa tradition directly attacks the custom and values of non-Drukpa Kargyudpa
followers. The theocratic ideology of clerics profoundly influences the administration
and poses a challenge to the creation of a modern secular nation-state. The regime’s
bogey of preserving traditions and culture through the newly drafted constitutional
provisions seems to be a shield for protecting feudal and despotic rule.”lxxxviii
Violation of Constitution and International Law

Constitution of Bhutan
According to Article 3 of the Bhutanese Constitution, “Buddhism is the spiritual heritage

of Bhutan, which promotes the principles and values of peace, non-violence,
compassion and tolerance,” and that the King is the protector of all religions in Bhutan.
By officially recognizing Buddhism in the Constitution, Hinduism and other religions are
relegated to an inferior status, and subject to discriminatory policies.
Article 7 guarantees all Bhutanese, “the right to life, liberty and security of person,” and,
“the right to freedom of speech, opinion and expression”. Moreover, Article 7, section 4
guarantees Bhutanese citizens, “the right to freedom of thought, conscience and
religion,” and assures that, “no person shall be compelled to belong to another faith by
means of coercion or inducement.” Despite the assurances contained in Article 7,
religious intolerance has forced nearly 100,000 Hindu Lhotshampas out of Bhutan.
Section 15 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen equality before the law without
discrimination based on, “race, sex, language, religion, politics or other status.”lxxxix The
government’s support for the “One Nation, One People” policy, however, systematically
violates the provisions guaranteed under Section 15.

The Bhutanese government has signed and ratified the following six international
human rights covenants, treaties and conventions:
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

(1979)
• Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
• Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and
Sick in Armed Forces in the Field (1949)
• Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and
Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea (1949)
• Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (1949)
• Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civil Persons in Time of War
(1949)
The government, however, has failed to sign a number of other significant human rights
treaties protecting civil, political and religious rights. Despite this, the government
should be held accountable for providing fundamental human rights to all its citizens, as
enshrined in the International Bill of Human Rights (1948).
Unfortunately, Bhutan’s nationalist policies, continued religious discrimination and

ethnic cleansing of over 100,000 Hindu Lhotshampas have violated all basic norms of
international human rights law.

Bhutanese refugees have spent 17 years living in refugee camps. To date, the only offer
on the table is that of resettlement. The Hindu American Foundation urges Bhutan to
repatriate all its nationals who are able to prove their nationality, while Nepal should
come forward with a similar offer to integrate some refugees. We support other human
rights agencies’ calls that, “ultimately, each and every refugee should have the right to
choose their own future.”xc
"We encourage the governments of Bhutan and Nepal to continue to work together
with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to fulfill their
commitment to find a comprehensive and lasting solution to the situation," stated
Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency.
According to Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), Bhutan has not provided a written
commitment to take back the refugees who have proven their citizenship and joint

verification was conducted only in one out of the seven refugee camps. Without a
written commitment, there is no guarantee that Bhutan will take back its nationals.
HAF supports the recommendations made by ACHR and other human rights agencies
like HRW and Amnesty International:xci
• “Bhutan must take practical and concrete steps to demonstrate its stated
commitment to a just resolution of the longstanding refugee crisis.”
• “Bhutan, Nepal and UNHCR should adopt a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
for voluntary repatriation that includes a clear statement of rights and entitlements
upon the refugees’ return to Bhutan - including full citizenship rights and human
rights protections.”
• “An accelerated and simplified verification exercise needs to be carried out in the six
camps which have not yet been screened, based on two categories only: Bhutanese
and non-Bhutanese.”
• “Donors, UN agencies and Bhutan's other partners should insist on measures to

eliminate discrimination against Lhotshampas who have remained in Bhutan since
the exodus of refugees, and to ensure the protection of their fundamental human
rights and their right to participate as full citizens of Bhutan.”
• “Bhutan’s development partners should urge the [Government]… to regularize the

nationality status of Lhotshampas who have no prospect of claiming any nationality
other than Bhutanese.”And finally: “[d]onors should provide increased support for
new programs and projects in the south of Bhutan and the east of Nepal to create
new economic and educational opportunities which do not discriminate in purpose
or effect, including on the basis of race or ethnicity; and to facilitate voluntary
repatriation and local integration.”

Republic of the Fiji Islands

Area: 18,270 sq. km.
Population: 918,675 (July 2007 est.)
Religions: Christian 53% (Methodist 34.5%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Assembly of God
3.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.6%, other 4.9%), Hindu 34% (Santa 25%, Arya Samaj
1.2%, other 7.8%), Muslim 7% (Sunni 4.2%. other 2.8%), other or unspecified 5.6%, none
0.3% (1996 census)
Languages: English (official), Fijian, Hindi
Ethnic groups: Fijian 54.8% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture),

Indian 37.4%, other 7.9% (European, other Pacific Islanders, Chinese) (2005 estimate)
Location: Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way
from Hawaii to New Zealandxcii
Introduction
Commodore Bainimaram, who came to power following a military coup in 2006, still
remains the country’s interim Prime Minister. Although his current regime has been
Republic of the Fiji Islands 24 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

accused of human rights violations, he has openly pledged to end discrimination against
the Indian minority and attacks on Hindu temples.
The interim Prime Minister met with HAF leaders when he visited San Francisco in
October 2007. HAF leaders also met with Mason Smith, the Deputy Permanent
Representative of the Permanent Mission of Fiji to the United Nations on January 30,
2008. The meeting enabled HAF to initiate an in-depth discussion of religious tolerance
and pluralism. "The Permanent Mission of Fiji to the United Nations was pleased to
meet with the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and supports HAF's human rights work
in promoting pluralism and tolerance amongst the world's religions," said Smith.
While Hindus continue to face challenges, and there were reported attacks on Hindu
religious sites, conditions are in fact improving. Despite some positive developments,
however, the Hindu population in Fiji is steadily declining, with heavy migration to the
United States, Australia and New Zealand.
History/Background
Fiji consists of over 300 islands, 100 of which are inhabited. Most of the population is
concentrated on the main island of Viti Levu. The first inhabitants of Fiji reportedly
arrived 3,000 years ago from Southeast Asia. The first European, Dutch explorer Abel
Tasman, arrived in Fiji in 1643, but it was not until the 19th Century that Europeans
permanently settled on the islands. The islands came under British control as a colony in
1874 and gained independence in 1970.
Among the three major religions in Fiji, there are 471,093 Christians, 344,260 Hindus,
and 47,475 Muslims. The largest Christian denomination is the Methodists with 174,304
members. The Roman Catholic Church and Protestant denominations also have
significant followings. The Methodist Church is supported by the majority of the
country’s chiefs and remains influential in the ethnic Fijian community, particularly in
rural areas.xciii
Religion runs largely along ethnic lines. The population is split largely between two main
ethnic groups: Indigenous Fijians constitute approximately 51%, and Indo-Fijians
constitute 44%. Most Indo-Fijians practice Hinduism; most indigenous Fijians follow
Christianity. The European community is predominantly Christian. Other ethnic
communities include the Chinese, Rotumans, Europeans and other Pacific Islanders.xciv
Hindus are the second largest religious community in Fiji constituting approximately
34% of the total population, and approximately 76% of the Indian community. Hindus
were initially brought to Fiji in 1879 by the British colonists as part of the indentured
labor system to work on the sugar cane plantations.xcv This brutal practice, akin to
slavery, was finally abolished in 1916, but discrimination against Hindus has continued,
abetted by the state.

During colonial rule, the British pursued a policy of separate communal developments to
prevent Indian laborers and indigenous Fijians from becoming a unified community.
British Raj felt communal unity possessed the potential to undermine colonial rule. The
British had benefited in communal divisions while ruling the Indian Subcontinent and
vast territories in Africa. Hence, both communities for over 70 years under British rule
grew separately. The differences were further reinforced by religious and linguistic
differences. When the British left, the large Indian minority population was left at the
political will of the majority native Fijians. Though the Indians constituted 40 percent of
the population, 87 percent of the land was given to the native Fijians under the colonial
system. The political mantle was exclusively transferred to the Fijian political elite,
which declared Christianity as the State religion and instituted a constitution that
allowed only the native Fijians to hold political office. The progressive Prime Minister
Dr. Timoci Bavadra temporarily abrogated this practice in 1987.
Since Fiji’s independence in 1970, the country has experienced three coups. The first
coup of May 1987 overthrew the cabinet of Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. The
coup, carried out by a disgruntled militarist Lt. Colonel Rabuka with military loyalists,
justified their violent overthrew of Kamisese Mara’s democratic regime by citing his
friendliness with Indians and Hindus as undermining Fijian interests. Lt. Colonel Rabuka
also issued an order for Indians to convert to Christianity during the coup. Many temples
were destroyed in the 1987 unrest.
In 1990, a new constitution provided for native Melanesian control of Fiji and led to
large numbers of Indians leaving the island nation. The significant population loss
resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority.
The 1990 Constitution under Sitiveni Rabuka effectively barred any Hindu from holding
the office of the Prime Minister. However, continued international pressure and
domestic unrest resulted in amendments of the Constitution in 1997, making it more
equitable. The Constitutional review, led by Sir Paul Reeves, removed the
discriminatory practices embedded in the Constitution thereby paving the way for a new
era in Fijian political history.
Elections in 1999 saw the emergence of the first Hindu Prime Minister, Mahendra
Chaudhary, who was overthrown a year later by a Fijian fanatic and U.S.-educated failed
businessman, George Speight. Since 2000, violence against Hindus has increased and
threatened their fundamental right to practice their faith. As a recent Amnesty
International report on Fiji notes, “Discrimination against ethnic minorities was evident
in plans for an indigenous Trust Fund and in the appointment of indigenous Fijians to
almost all chief executive posts in the public service.”xcvi
Subsequent Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a

democratically elected government and gave a mandate to the government of Prime
Minister Laisenia Qarase. Re-elected in May 2006, Qarase was later ousted in a military
coup led by Commodore Bainimarama, who initially appointed himself acting president

and dissolved the Parliament, paving the way for the military to assume power. On
January 4, 2007, the military announced that it was restoring executive power to
President Iloilo, who in turn endorsed the actions of the military. The next day, Iloilo
named Bainimarama as the interim Prime Minister.xcvii Commodore Frank Bainimarama,
current Prime Minister of Fiji, justified the overthrow of the Qarase regime as an
attempt to curb state sponsored racism against Indians and Hindus and general political
corruption.

Following the coup in 2006, although conditions for Hindus in Fiji have generally
improved, Human Rights Watch has continued to document violations of human rights
in other areas. For example, in a letter to the Fijian President, Human Rights Watch
demanded, “an independent investigation into the death of a person in military custody
and allegations of arbitrary detentions, beatings and harassment of more than a dozen
individuals by the military...”xcviii
Religious Freedom
The right to freely worship without fear of attack is one of the basic and fundamental
aspects of religious freedom. And in Fiji, the centerpiece of Hindu activities lies in their
temples, which are found in major towns, cities and rural areas throughout the country.
In recent years Hindus have been singled out for violence and temple desecration by
suspected Christian fundamentalists. The religious tension between Hindus and
Christians is entwined in the historical racial differences between Native Fijians and
Indians, which dates back to the colonial era. The majority of the Indians, approximately
76%, are Hindus and 99% of native Fijians are Christians.
According to the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha’s president Kamlesh Arya, there were more than
50 cases of temple sacrilege between January and September 2007.xcix The trend
continued in 2008, with several reported incidents, as documented below.
Attacks on Temples
During the month of May, Hindus were shocked after one of their largest temples in the
city of Lautoka was burned and looted. Devotees of the Field 40 Gangaiyamman Kovil
Temple, in Lautoka, could not hold back their tears as they went through the charred
remains of the temple, built more than 60 years ago. The financial damage was
estimated at over U.S. $65,000 at the temple, which is home to more than 3,000
worshippers. Temples in Fiji do not receive state assistance and rely heavily on the
support of individual devotees.c
In another incident in August, a private temple in rural Ba was completely destroyed

after a late night arson attack. The attacked compelled the traumatized family to move

to the city. And in September, the Delainavesi Hindu temple in Lami was broken into,
but according to police nothing was stolen.ci
Subsequently, there were a string of attacks in October, particularly during the weekend
of October 6th, when several Hindu temples were desecrated through vandalism and
arson. Following the incidents, Commodore Frank Bainimarama ordered a special
investigation into the matter. Later that month, on October 16th, the Kendrit Shiri
Sanatan Dharam Shiv Temple in Narewa, Nadi was attacked. The 97 year- old temple
was one of the oldest existing Hindu temples in Fiji and was built by indentured
laborers. The temple provided a source of support and faith for thousands of Hindus
who were brought from India to work as indentured laborers. The Hindu community
was shocked by the incident.cii

Constitution of Fiji
Although the Constitution of Fiji establishes the separation of religion and state, the U.S.
State Department mentioned in its 2006 Report on Human Rights Practices of Fiji that,
“the majority of citizens (52 percent) are Christian, and government-sponsored
meetings and events often begin with a Christian prayer.” It also noted that, “Racial
polarization was reflected in religious differences, which were largely along ethnic lines;
this contributed to political problems. Most ethnic Fijians were Christians and most
Indo- Fijians were Hindu…. The dominant Methodist Church has closely allied itself with
the interests of the pro-indigenous Fijian movement,” and, “break-ins, vandalism and
arson directed at houses of worship, predominantly Hindu temples, were common. The
attacks were broadly viewed as reflections of inter-communal strife….”ciii
Section 30 of the Constitution limits the right of freedom of expression to protect, “the
reputation, privacy, dignity, rights or freedoms of other persons, including the right to
be free from hate speech, whether directed against individuals or groups” and to,
“prevent attacks on the dignity of individuals, groups or communities or respected
offices or institutions in a manner likely to promote ill will between races or
communities or the oppression of, or discrimination against, any person or persons.”
Unfortunately, the Fijian government is not upholding this constitutional guarantee as
Christian groups condemn Hindus as “idol worshippers” and promote anti-Hindu
sentiment that clearly advances, “ill will between communities.” Section 35, which is
not supported by the Methodist Church, states, “(1) Every person has the right to
freedom of conscience, religion and belief. (2) Every person has the right, either
individually or in community with others, and both in public and in private, to manifest
his or her religion or belief in worship, observance, practice or teaching.”civ

Although Fiji has not taken any action toward ratifying or signing the U.N. International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), it has agreed to the International
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The government is
not upholding the convention as Hindus and Muslims continue to be targets of Fijian
Christian nationalists. As noted earlier, the condition of Hindus has improved in recent
years and credit for the improvement has been given to Interim Prime Minister
Bainimarama’s initiative in strict enforcement of laws and public guarantees of
protecting Hindus.

Despite constitutional guarantees and government assurances, Hindu temples continue
to be desecrated by people suspected to belong to Fijian Christian groups. The Fijian
government should practice parity and equality in its response to and support of various
ethnic and religious groups, more effectively deal with violent crimes against Hindus and
prosecute the criminals who led the 2000 coup.

Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir
© Embassy of India, Washington D.C.cv
Area: 85,807 square miles
Population: 7,718,700.cvi The overall population in the Indian state of Jammu and
Kashmir was estimated in 1981 at 7.7 million with Muslims (64.3%), Hindus (32.1%),
Sikhs (2.16%), Buddhist (1.17%) and others, including Christians (0.26%).
Religions: Exact figures unavailable; majority Muslim with a large Hindu minority and
smaller Sikh and Buddhist communities; close to 400,000 Hindus and Sikhs currently live
as refugees in other parts of India.
Languages: Kashmiri, Gojari, Dogri
Location: Northern India, bordered by Pakistan on the west and China on the east
Introduction
The Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir was plagued by political controversy and Islamic
violence in 2008. Hindus and other minorities faced a multitude of issues, including
economic discrimination, political repression, extremist violence and the continued
displacement of more than 300,000 Kashmiri Pandits. Although violence was down
from previous years, Islamic militants, supported by Pakistan, continued to target
innocent civilians. The year, however, was dominated by events surrounding the legal
Indian State of Jammu Kashmir 30 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

transfer of land by the State Government to the Amarnath Shrine Board meant to
accommodate Hindu pilgrims traveling to the Amarnath Cave Shrine.
On a positive note, the long neglected Kashmiri Pandits formed their first political party,
the Jammu Kashmir National United Front, and fielded 15 candidates during the 2008
Assembly elections, to highlight the suffering of the displaced Hindus.cvii
History/Background
Kashmir, known for its idyllic beauty, has historically been inhabited by Hindus and
Buddhists, and had a majority Hindu population until the 14th century, when Islamic
invaders entered the region. Ancient Kashmir was renowned as a center for Hindu and
Buddhist learning and was ruled by Hindu kings until 1339. The Muslim period stretched
from about 1561 to 1819, at which time Sikhs gained control over the region. Sikh rule
spanned from 1819 to 1846, followed by the Hindu Dogra reign from 1846 to 1947.
Modern Kashmir has been claimed by both Pakistan and India since partition of the
subcontinent in 1947.cviii
The Princely State of Kashmir, which was ruled by the Dogra king Hari Singh at the time
of partition, joined the Indian Union after Pakistan’s armed forces orchestrated an
invasion of Kashmir using Pashtun “tribesmen” and regular military personnel.
Following the Pakistani offensive, Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession
formalizing Kashmir’s legal accession to India.cix The Instrument of Accession was the
standard legal mechanism used by the Princely States of British India to join either India
or Pakistan at the time of independence in 1947.cx The accession was also approved by
the largest and most popular Kashmiri political party, the All Jammu and Kashmir
National Conference, led by the charismatic Muslim leader Sheikh Mohammed
Abdullah.
Once Kashmir legally joined India, Indian forces were deployed to stop the advancing
Pakistani military, leading to an all out war between the two countries.cxi
India then sought the intervention of the United Nations (UN) and the UN Commission
for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) was established to examine the situation. In April 1948,
the UN Security Council passed Resolution 47, which required (1) the demilitarization of
the region and (2) a plebiscite to decide the future of the princely state. The Resolution,
however, clearly required that Pakistan must first withdraw all its military personnel and
“tribesmen” from the state, as a necessary pre-condition to holding a plebiscite.cxii
According to the UNCIP’s findings in August 1948, Pakistan not only failed to abide by
the Resolution, but actually increased its military presence in Kashmir.cxiii
Despite Pakistan's military aggression and flagrant violation of Resolution 47, the
Security Council failed to take appropriate action against the government of Pakistan.

After a ceasefire was agreed to in January 1949, Pakistan remained in control of
approximately one-third of the state, while the remaining two-thirds was incorporated
into India under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. The Indian Constitution, which
came into effect on January 26, 1950 granted special status to Kashmir through Article
370. Article 370 is a special clause that made, “Jammu and Kashmir a country within a
country, with its own flag, emblem, constitution and Sadr-i-Riyasat (Prime Minister).”cxiv
Moreover, it restricted the Indian Parliament’s legislative power over Jammu and
Kashmir to defense, foreign affairs and communications. Thus, in order for the
Parliament to apply other laws to Jammu and Kashmir, it required the State’s
concurrence. Perhaps, the worst consequence of Article 370 is its restriction on people
moving from other parts of India to the state. Although there was
considerable opposition to granting special status to the state, India’s first Prime
Minister Jawaharlal Nehru insisted on the inclusion of Article 370 to accommodate
Kashmiri Muslims.cxv
Subsequently, local elections were held in Indian Kashmir in 1951, where Sheikh
Abdullah’s National Conference won a resounding victory. And in 1956, the Jammu and
Kashmir Constituent Assembly voted to approve the merger of Kashmir with India.cxvi
The former princely State of Jammu and Kashmir has a total area of 85,807 sq. miles,
and is now divided between three countries.cxvii Pakistan occupies approximately
28,160 sq. miles, known as Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK), or the supposed Azad
(free) Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and the Northern Areas. POK comprises eight
administrative districts (Muzzafarabad, Mirpur, Neelum, Kotli, Poonch, Sudhanoti,
Bhimber and Bagh) with an area of 5,134 sq. miles and an estimated population of 3.5
million.cxviii The people of PoK are mostly Sunni Muslims, speaking a mix of Punjabi,
Pahari and Pushto. There are virtually no Hindus left in POK. The Northern Areas have
a Shia Muslim majority population with significant numbers of Ismailis and Nurbakshis (a
Sufi sect). Shia-Sunni tensions have frequently run high here and there have been
periodic riots. In Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, the Pakistani government has failed to
provide basic rights and democratic representation to the Kashmiri people. Moreover,
local Kashmiris are discriminated against, while Pakistanis are given preferential
treatment.cxix
China controls a total of 16,500 sq. miles, of which 2,000 sq. miles in the Shaksgam
Valley was ceded to them by Pakistan in a 1963 boundary settlement (which India does
not accept). The remaining 14,500 sq. miles, known as Aksai Chin was seized by China
during the 1962 Indo-China war. Chinese occupied Kashmir is predominantly
Buddhist.cxx
And finally, the remaining territory forms the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which
is divided into three main parts: Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh. According to
estimates, the state's population is 7.7 million, with Muslims (64.3%), Hindus (32.1%),
Sikhs (2.16%), Buddhist (1.17%) and others, including Christians (0.26%).cxxi

The Kashmir Valley has six districts with an area of 6,157 sq. miles and a population of
just over four million. The main language is Kashmiri with Gojari being spoken to a
lesser extent. Most Valley Muslims are Sunni with concentrations of Shias in certain
areas. The Jammu region also includes six districts with an area of 10,151 sq. miles and
a population of 3.6 million. In Jammu, Hindus comprise 66.3% of the population,
Muslims 29.6% and Sikhs 3.68%. Ladakh, which includes the districts of Leh and Kargil,
has an area of 37,337 sq. miles and a population of 171,000. Buddhists enjoy a
slight majority in Ladakh (51%), with a substantial Muslim population of 46%, and
Hindus, Sikhs and others at 3%.cxxii
Starting in 1989, Islamic terrorism gripped the Kashmir Valley and a brutal campaign of
violence and ethnic cleansing was directed against the state’s minority Hindu
population. As a result, between 1989 and 1991, more than 300,000 Hindus were
driven out of the Valley by Muslim extremists (some estimates put the figure at close
to 400,000), who engaged in brutal ethno-religious cleansing. These Hindus, known as
Kashmiri Pandits, now live in refugee camps throughout Delhi and Jammu.cxxiii Although
the violence initially targeted Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, Islamic militants
subsequently expanded their operations to attack Hindu civilians throughout the state.
The Islamic militants in Kashmir were recruited, trained, funded and given refuge by
Pakistan’s military and powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. According to
former scholar, and the current Pakistani ambassador to the U.S., Husain Haqqani, the
violence in Kashmir was, “rooted in the ideology of Pakistani Islamists, carefully
nurtured for decades by the Pakistani military.”cxxiv In fact, the founder and former head
of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba affirmed that “killing Hindus” was the best solution to
resolve the six-decades-old dispute between Pakistan and India over Kashmir.cxxv
Kashmiri terrorists also have ties with Al-Qaeda operating in the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border areas, which continues to be the center of Islamist terror networks,
fundamentalism, drug trafficking, illicit trade in small arms and international
terrorism.cxxvi For a complete list of Pakistani militant groups operating in Jammu and
Kashmir, please see Appendix 2.
Considering the Pakistani military/government’s obsession with jihad in Kashmir and the
explosion of Islamic fundamentalism, the future of Hindus in Kashmir remains tenuous.

In 2008, Hindus in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir continued to face multiple
human rights issues, including economic/political discrimination, lack of religious
freedom and violent attacks. Furthermore, more than 300,000 displaced Kashmiri
Pandits remain unable to safely return to their homeland in the Kashmir Valley and
many continue to live in deplorable conditions in refugee camps.

Religious Freedom
Hindu Pilgrimage Sites/Temples

The basic right to worship freely without fear of persecution or attack is essential to the
idea of religious freedom. Equally important is the right to access basic
accommodations and facilities for pilgrims and devotees. Unfortunately, Hindus in
Jammu and Kashmir have not enjoyed such religious freedom, as they have frequently
come under attack from Muslim fundamentalists and many of their pilgrimage sites and
temples continue to lack rudimentary facilities and accommodations.
Kashmir is home to numerous ancient Hindu pilgrimage sites and temples

located throughout the state, which are visited by millions of devotees every year. The
two most frequented sites are Vaishno Devi in Jammu and the Amarnath cave shrine in
northern Kashmir.
During 2008, a dispute arose surrounding a decision by the Jammu and Kashmir State
Government to allot 100 acres of uninhabitable land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board
(the body responsible for overseeing the pilgrimage) to accommodate pilgrims visiting
the Amarnath cave shrine with basic facilities. Following riots by Muslim separatist
groups and political parties, however, the transfer was rescinded by the State
Government. There are several indications that Pakistan may have played a role in
orchestrating the protests in order to communalize the issue to its own advantage.cxxvii
In response to the revocation order, Hindus in the Jammu region of the State came out
to protest but were brutally repressed by State authorities, leading to the innocent loss
of life. The protests in Jammu were not only a response to the revocation order, but
also an expression of frustration with the longstanding economic and political
marginalization at the hands of Muslims from the Kashmir Valley. Hindus also received
support from Buddhist leaders in Ladakh. The dispute was eventually resolved by
allotting the land exclusively for use by the Amarnath Shrine Board, but only lasting the
duration of the Yatra (pilgrimage).cxxviii
Allegations made by Kashmiri separatists implying that the land transfer was an attempt
to create Hindu settlements in Kashmir and change the religious demography were
baseless and unfounded. The religious demography in the state was already altered in
1989-1990 when more than 350,000 Kashmiri Hindus, the original inhabitants of the
Kashmir Valley, were ethnically cleansed from their ancestral homeland. These Hindus
have not yet been able to return to their homes in Kashmir out of fear for their safety.
The assertion that Hindus are trying to alter the religious balance in the State, given the
fear for safety of Kashmiri Hindus the very recent history of ethnic cleansing in the
Valley, then seems preposterous.

According to Paul Beersman, President of the Belgian Association for Solidarity with
Jammu and Kashmir (BASJAK):
Syed Ali Shah Geelani started agitation against the land transfer to the Amarnath
Shrine Board because he feared Hindus would settle permanently and thus
change the demographic composition of the population. This fear is completely
without ground as it is impossible to settle permanently in that area: more than
six months of the year this area is covered with snow, there are blizzards and it is
so cold that nobody can survive there. On the other hand, it is surprising that the
same concern regarding the demographic composition of the population was not
there in 1990. In that year, the Kashmiri Pandits were hounded out of the Valley
by militancy in 1990. The Kashmiri Pandits are the original Kashmiri speaking
inhabitants of the Valley. Some 500.000 of them fled from the Valley to safer
places. This exodus changed drastically the demographic composition of the
population in the Valley. At that time, nobody cared about this: no agitation, no
demonstrations, no harthals, no bandhs, no strikes, nothing. After more than
eighteen years, the return of the Kashmiri Pandits is more and more blurred.
Nevertheless, they have their emotional attachment with their birth ground, their
roots. They only can return when peace is there and when the rule of law, not
the rule of majority is re-installed.cxxix
In addition, Hindu temples have come under frequent attack by Islamic extremists, as
over 200 temples have been destroyed or damaged since the start of violence in 1989.
Moreover, following the mass exodus of Hindus from the Kashmir Valley in 1989-
1990, more than 100 religious sites have been illegally occupied by local Muslims. For
instance, according to a fact-finding mission, the cremation site and temple land
of Karihama-Gutingu in Kupwara district, Batpura and Kapalmochan temples in Shopian
district and Shiv temple at Thejiwara, have all been illegally seized.cxxx
General Violence
Attacks on Civilians
Pakistan’s support for militants operating in Kashmir continued unabated in 2008.
Intelligence reports indicate a continuation of infiltration of militants from Pakistan
Occupied Kashmir, as well as incursions across the Line of Control by Pakistani
troops.cxxxi For example, in 2008, Indian police arrested a regular Pakistani soldier,
identified as Ghulam Farid (who provided his army service number) in a hotel room in
Jammu, along with Islamic militants from Jaish-e-Mohammed, where they were found
planning a suicide attack.cxxxii
Although violence has precipitously declined in recent years, there were 530 fatalities
from terrorist related violence in 2008, with 67 civilian deaths, 87 security personnel

and 376 militants. Militancy in the state has led to more than 42,000 deaths since
1988.cxxxiii
The following three incidents represent the nature of violence directed towards
innocent civilians in the state during 2008:
• “May 11: Four civilians, two soldiers and two militants of the LeT were killed in
an encounter in the Samba town of Jammu. Among the slain civilians were chief
photographer of Daily Excelsior Ashok Sodhi, a prominent leader from Samba[,]
Hoshiar Singh and his wife, and another woman. 16 SF personnel and two
women were injured in the day long gun-battle. Official sources said that two
militants wearing Army uniform intruded into the house of Hoshiar Singh,
general secretary of Indian National Democratic Party, in Samba town at 5.58am
(IST) by scaling the boundary wall. After killing Hoshiar Singh and his wife on the
spot, the militants subsequently moved towards the Kaili Mandi area and took
hostage three women and two children. In the consequent encounter, two
soldiers, Aziz Ahmed and Atul Negi, and a woman were killed.”cxxxiv
• In July, 5 poor migrant laborers from the state of Bihar were killed, and 18 others
injured while they were waiting at a bus stand in Srinagar. The victims included a
mother and her four young children.cxxxv
• In another disturbing incident in August, Islamic militants took eleven hostages,

including women and children, when they entered the home of a Hindu family in
Jammu region, resulting in an 18-hour standoff with Indian army personnel.
During the incident, five Hindu civilians were killed and three were injured.cxxxvi
Economic/Political Discrimination
Despite significant populations in the Jammu and Ladakh regions of the State, Hindus
and Buddhists in the state remain politically marginalized and severely
underrepresented in government positions. Muslim politicians and political parties,
particularly from the Kashmir Valley, have continuously dominated the state
government, ignoring the economic and political interests of Jammu and Ladakh and
Hindus and Buddhists respectively. The political disenfranchisement of Hindus and
Buddhists can be traced back to the assembly elections of 1951, when Sheikh Adbullah
allocated 43 seats in the 75 member Legislative Assembly for the Kashmir Valley, 30 for
Jammu, and only 2 for Ladakh. This was in sharp contrast to the demographic realities
of the state, wherein Jammu and Ladakh accounted for more than 50% of the
population and 90% of the land. Th allocation effectively placed political power in the
hands of Muslims from the Valley. Similarly, in 2002, when the Legislative Assembly

grew to 87 members, 46 seats were set aside for the Kashmir Valley, while only 37 seats
were created for Jammu and 4 for Ladakh.cxxxvii
In addition, redistricting and the creation of new Muslim majority constituencies in

Jammu and Ladakh have resulted in further dilution of Hindu and Buddhist votes.
Buddhists have viewed these policies as attempts to alter the religious balance in
Ladakh. For instance, in 2000, Lama Lobzang, an influential Buddhist leader in Ladakh,
stated that: “The NC (National Conference) Government is deliberately settling a large
number of people from the valley with a view to reducing the Buddhist majority in
Ladakh into [a] minority.” Similarly, Hindus from Jammu have long complained of
political and economic domination by Kashmiri Muslims.cxxxviii
Furthermore, the few remaining Kashmiri Pandits remaining in the Kashmir Valley also
suffer from severe economic and political discrimination. According to a study
appearing in the Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, ”[t]he primary problems the
KPs [Kashmiri Pandits] in the Valley face today are that of unemployment and
inadequate rehabilitation. Approximately 125 Pandit families in Kashmir live below the
poverty line. According to a survey taken by the Hindu Welfare Society Kashmir in 2003,
there were more than 500 educated youth who were unemployed and over 200 of
these individuals were no longer eligible for government jobs due to their age…”cxxxix
The same study found that a number of Pandit families had been relocated by the state
government to isolated locations in the state, without providing adequate rehabilitation
or provisions. The families were presumably relocated for security concerns, but the
government failed to take care of their basic living needs.cxl
Social Persecution
Internal Displacement
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are defined as, “persons or groups of persons who
have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual
residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict,
situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made
disasters, and who have not crossed an internally recognized state border.”cxli
By far the greatest tragedy to befall Kashmiri Hindus was their forced displacement from
Kashmir. Over 95% of the Hindu population in the Kashmir Valley (350,000
people) became internally displaced between 1989 and 1991, as they were forced to
flee their historic homeland by Muslim extremists. There was an organized and
systematic campaign to cleanse Hindus from Kashmir, including massacres,
rapes, threats and intimidation. Public announcements were placed in newspapers,
sermons made in mosques and posters hung on houses, ordering all Kashmiri Hindus to
leave the Valley and threatening violence if they did not.cxlii This was only the latest in a
series of historical mass migrations by Hindus from Kashmir.

After their initial displacement between 1989 and 1991, 160 of the remaining 700 Hindu
families in the Valley were also forced to leave after increased violence and attacks
occurred between 2003 and 2004.cxliii
In order to accommodate the large numbers of Hindus fleeing the Valley, the Indian
government set up semi-permanent camps for the displaced in Jammu and New Delhi.
These camps, however, are overcrowded, lack adequate facilities and basic necessities.
For instance, there is no regular supply of drinking water, a shortage of medicines
and poor sanitation. Additionally, the education and employment opportunities are
severely lacking. As a result of the substandard conditions, the Kashmiri Pandits, after
years of displacement, have faced serious health problems, including high incidence of
disease, depression, stress-related problems and a high death rate.cxliv
Although the Indian government, as well as the local state government in Kashmir,
has discussed plans to rehabilitate the displaced Pandits to the Valley, these
plans have not yet been implemented. Furthermore, while Hindus are keen to return,
Pandit leaders are skeptical of the government’s rehabilitation plans and its ability to
provide protection to Hindus upon return.cxlv
Islamic militant groups have rejected the Pandits’ right to return and have issued
threats against Hindus if they return. For example, one extremist group publicly stated
that, “We impose a ban on the return of Kashmiri Pandit migrants to the Valley.” This
indicates that the security situation in the Valley remains tenuous and Hindus cannot
yet safely return to their homes.cxlvi

Indian Constitution
Despite India’s secular Constitution, Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir have been constant
targets of violent Islamist militants. Article 15 prohibits discrimination, “against any
citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.” Life
and personal liberty are protected by Article 21, which maintains that, “No person shall
be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by
law.”cxlvii The life and liberty of the Hindus in the Kashmir Valley have not been
protected or preserved by the Indian Government. As noted above, militants in the
Valley have terrorized and ruthlessly murdered Hindus and the continual threat of death
hinders their return to their homeland. Article 38 states: “The State shall strive to
promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a
social order in which justice, social, economic and political, shall inform all the
institutions of the national life.”cxlviii Once again, the Indian Government has failed to
secure the promise of Article 38. Neither have the Hindus in Kashmir been protected
nor have the Hindus who fled the region been provided with adequate support or
security. The approximately 350,000 individuals who fled the Kashmir Valley live in

refugee settlements dispersed throughout India in abysmal conditions. These Kashmiri
Hindus are living as refugees in their own country despite a constitutional promise to
protect their welfare, rights and liberties.
Pakistan’s direct support of militancy and/or proxy terrorism in Indian Kashmir is a

violation of U.N. Covenants governing terrorism, such as the International Convention
for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombing, and the International Convention for the
Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.cxlix A number of these Pakistan-based groups
have been labeled as terrorist organizations by the United Kingdom and the United
States. For instance, the UK has banned five militant organizations -- Harakat-ul-Jihad-
ul-Islami (HUJI), Jundallah, Khuddam ul-Islam, Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ) and Sipah-e Sahab
Pakistan (SSP).cl The United States has also designated LeJ, Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HuM),
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) as terrorist organizations.cli
India’s accession to the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
occurred on July 10, 1979 and its ratification of the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination took place on March 2, 1967.clii Once
again, the Indian government has failed to uphold either of these UN covenants. Most
importantly, Article 27 of the ICCPR, which protects the rights of “ethnic, religious or
linguistic minorities…to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise (sic) their own
religion [and] to use their own language” has been violated time and again in the
Kashmir Valley as Hindus have been all but completely driven out of the region.cliii The
destruction of temples and frequent attacks on Hindu pilgrimage sites is another
indication of the failure to protect Kashmiri Hindus under the ICCPR.
Finally, the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement encompass the protections

of international human rights law and humanitarian law as applied to internally
displaced persons. The legal protections afforded to IDPs, however, are substantially
weaker than that for refugees, who benefit from specialized international refugee law.
Substantively, the Guiding Principles prohibit the arbitrary displacement of persons
based on their religious and ethnic background, and affirm IDPs’ basic rights to food,
water, shelter, dignity and safety. The principles also emphasize the, “importance of
voluntary and safe return, as well as the need to assist the displaced to recover their
property and possessions.”cliv The responsibility for preventing internal displacement
and protecting the rights of the displaced persons lies with a country’s “national
authorities” according to the Guiding Principles. Consequently, the Indian government
as the responsible “national authority” has failed to protect the rights of the Kashmiri
Pandits under this legal framework.clv Hindus living in displacement camps still face
deplorable conditions, and have not been safely rehabilitated to their homes in
the Valley. In addition, the Indian government refuses to label them as IDPs, instead
referring to them as “migrants.” The term “migrant” is problematic as it implies

that Hindus left Kashmir of their own volition and denies the fact that they were forced
to flee.clvi

The ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley is virtually complete,
with less than 7,000 Pandits remaining in the Valley. Hindus forced from the Valley
continue to live in refugee camps throughout Northern India and the decrepit
conditions of these communities remain a tragic abuse of fundamental rights to shelter
and dignity.clvii
The fate of up to 400,000 people continues to be in limbo as the Indian government

strives to end the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. The status of Jammu and Kashmir
as a “disputed area” will continue to affect the condition of Kashmiri Hindus. The fate of
Hindus of this region remains in abeyance - paralyzed by the inertia of the Government
of India and a recalcitrant Pakistan unwilling to stop Islamic terrorists from carrying out
attacks in the region. The inflammatory rhetoric of Islamist terrorists based in Pakistan
only vitiates the atmosphere further and perpetuates a dangerous terrorism that
continues to claim Muslim and Hindus lives in the region.
It is incumbent upon the Pakistani Government to cease moral and material support to
all terrorists in the Kashmir Valley. India must create an atmosphere in the Kashmir
Valley conducive to the return and safe resettlement of Hindus to their original homes
throughout Jammu and Kashmir and further dialogue with Pakistan must be predicated
on this return of original Hindu residents. Furthermore, the state government must end
the economic and political marginalization of Hindus and Buddhists in the state and
provide full protection and accommodation to Hindu pilgrims and pilgrimage sites. And
finally, India must abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, which has allowed
the State's residents to live under a separate set of laws, benefiting its Muslim
population, who enjoy political power at the detriment of Kashmir’s religious minorities.

Malaysia
Area: 329, 750 sq km
Population: 25,274,132 (July 2008, estimate). Malaysia has a young population today
with approximately 31.8% under the age of 15 years. clviii
Religions: Muslim 60.4%, Buddhist 19.2%, Christian 9.1%, Hindu 6.3%, Confucianism,
Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 2.6%, other or unknown 1.5%, none 0.8%
(2000 census). Islam is the official religion of the country.
Ethnic groups: Malay (Bumiputra) 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%,
others 7.8% (2004 est.)
Languages: Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese (Cantonese, Madarin, Hokkien,

Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Thai, several indigenous
languages (Iban and Kadazan)
Location: Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of

the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of
Vietnamclix
Malaysia 41 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

Introduction
In recent years, minorities have come under increasing pressure from repressive
government policies and increasing Islamicization. In particular, the country’s Hindu and
ethnic Indian population have faced widespread persecution and human rights abuses.
Despite being second class citizens, Hindus remained largely silent until 2007, when they
began to politically organize and challenge the government’s discriminatory practices.
For example, on November 25, 2007, approximately 10,000 Hindus, led by the Hindu
Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), organized a peacefull rally to protest the religious
apartheid policies pursued by the Malaysian government. The Malay authorities,
however, brutally supressed the rally, using tear gas, chemical laced water cannons and
police batons. Following the event, the Malaysian government began to crack down on
the Indian and Hindu community and hundreds of Hindus were arbitrarily detained and
arrested for asserting their basic democratic rights, including five Hindraf leaders.clx The
arrested HINDRAF leaders included P Uthayakumar, M Manoharan, R Kenghadharan, V
Ganabatirau and T Vasantha Kumar. Immediately following the arrests, they were
moved to the Kamunting detention center in Taiping, Perak, where, under the Internal
Security Act (ISA), they can be detained for two years without any investigation or trial.
Malaysian human rights groups, lawyers and opposition leader Lim Kit Siang condemned
the arrests and strongly criticized the targeting and repression Hindu/Indian leaders and
activists.clxi Unfortunately, the HINDRAF leaders continue to be detained indefinitely.
Furthermore, on February 16, 2008, multinational rallies were held across the world,
including in Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, New York, London, Dublin, Brussels, Melbourne,
Auckland, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Singapore and Jakarta. In the Malaysian capital
of Kuala Lumpur, Hindus gathered at Jalan Raja Laut in the city center to protest the
government’s discriminatory policies against Hindus. The protestors carried roses to
symbolize their peaceful struggle for equality. The police, however, once again used
tear gas, chemical laced water cannons and physical force to break up the rally. In
addition, close to 200 HINDRAF supporters were arrested and nearly 5,000 temporarily
detained, including women and children. Most of the arrested Hindus were eventually
released, but at least nine people still remain in police custody. In attempting to
prevent the rally, government authorities used “racial profiling” and other repressive
tactics. For instance, Malaysians of Indian origin were prevented from entering Kuala
Lumpur; Indians were even removed from buses traveling to the city. Road blocks were
also set up to stop Indians from reaching Parliament, where the rally was originally
scheduled to be held.clxii
This political activism by Hindus and Indians along with disenchantment among the
ethnic Chinese population, led, in part, to the ruling National Front Coalition and Prime
Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi losing its Parliamentary majority, and control in five
state assemblies.clxiii

History/Background
The Indian and Chinese influence in the Malay-speaking world dates back to at least
third century BCE when traders from both regions arrived at the archipelago. Hinduism
and Buddhism were both established in the region by the first century CE. Between the
seventh and fourteenth centuries, the Indian Hindu culture reigned in the Malay world.
During the tenth century, however, the arrival of Islam broke apart the Hindu empire
and led to the conversion of most of the Malay-Indonesian world.
The sixteenth century saw the arrival of the European colonizers, beginning with the
Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and ultimately the British. In 1824, the Anglo-Dutch
created a border between British Malaysia and the Dutch East Indies, which is now
Indonesia. This phase of occupation was followed by the mass immigration of Chinese
and Indians who entered the country as workers in the colonial British economy.
Between 1942 and 1945, the Japanese occupied the region, detracting power from the
British in East Asia. Although short-lived, this occupation triggered feelings of
nationalism, ultimately leading to the establishment of an independent Federation of
Malaya in 1957. Upon the acquisition of British territories in North Borneo and
Singapore, Malaya became Malaysia in 1963.clxiv

During 2008, the status of human rights in Malaysia suffered a precipitous decline. Most
of the problems in Malaysia seem to be rooted in religious tension within the country. In
its report on the plight of the Malaysian Indian minority populations, Waytha Moorthy,
the president of the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), exposed the rampant human
rights violations in Malaysia. In particular, he mentions the frequent demolition of Hindu
temples, as well as the abuse of women and children. In fact, according to the report, in
recent years, an average of one temple a week has been demolished in Malaysia.clxv
2008 also witnessed the continued use of the notorious Internal Security Act (ISA) to
suppress criticism of the government and silence political dissent. For instance, in
September 2008, the ISA was used to arrest and detain Malaysia’s most prominent
internet blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, editor of the news portal Malaysia Today, for
allegedly, “threatening national security and potentially ‘caus[ing] tension among the
country’s multi-racial and multi-religious society.’”clxvi
Religious Freedom
Hindus, along with other minorities face increasing religious discrimination, as

Islamicization has grown in recent years. Although Malaysia has a parallel court system:
secular courts for non-Muslims and Sharia courts for Muslims, Hindus and other
minorities have recently been forced to deal with the Islamic courts, where they have
faced severe disadvantages. In recent years, there have been several instances where

non-Muslims suffered religious discrimination through the Islamic court system. In one
case, a Hindu mother, Subashini Rajasingam, lost an appeal to prevent her husband, a
recent Muslim convert, from changing their four year old son’s religion to Islam. The
highest court in Malaysia subsequently affirmed the ruling of a lower federal court,
granting the Muslim husband a right to use the Islamic Sharia courts to seek a divorce,
and also upheld his right to convert their child to Islam without the mother’s
consent.clxvii
Islam has also begun to increasingly permeate all aspects of Malaysian society, and
towards the end of 2008, the National Fatwa Council, Malaysia’s top Islamic body,
issued a fatwa (edict) banning the practice of yoga for Muslims. The Council ruled that:
“yoga involves not just physical exercise but also includes Hindu spiritual elements,
chanting and worship,” effectively denying Muslims the freedom of religion.clxviii
Destruction of Temples
In a continuing trend from 2007, the biggest concern of Malaysian Hindus was the
destruction of their temples. Hindu temples continued to be destroyed by government
authorities throughout the country in 2008. For example, in September, a 19-year old
temple built on forest-land was demolished in Ampang, Selangor in September.clxix
And in December, at least two temples were destroyed, including the Taman Desa
Temple, in Seputeh, which was destroyed by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL)
authorities. The temple was demolished despite an order from the Territories Ministry
banning the destruction of any temple without first providing an alternate site for the
temple.clxx
Moreover, the Sri Muthu Mariamman temple at Skudia in Johor in southern Malaysia
was also destroyed.clxxi These incidents are only a few examples of the widespread and
systematic destruction of temples by the Malaysian government.
The Indian Hindu minority suffers from economic, social and educational discrimination
while the majority Malaysian Muslims (bumiputras) benefit from an affirmative-action
policy that provides discounts on housing, quotas on educational institutions,
preference for government jobs, selection of government run mutual funds available
only for bumiputra purchase and projects that require tenders to be bumiputra owned.
Likewise, companies listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, including foreign
companies, must have bumiputras with at least 30% minimum equity in order to satisfy
listing requirements. This further leads to the unequal distribution of wealth, leaving the
Hindu minority at an increased economic disadvantage.

Legal Discrimination
The legal system in Malaysia promotes extensive discrimination against non-Muslims, as
mentioned above. The ISA, however, is perhaps the most regressive and tyrannical
aspect of the nation’s legal structure. The dreaded ISA has been used since 1960 as an
instrument of oppression and a means to stifle free speech and political opposition to
the government. Under the Act, persons suspected of threatening national security may
be arrested and detained indefinitely without charges or trial. According to Human
Rights Watch, the ISA’s, “provisions violate fundamental international human rights
standards, including prohibitions on arbitrary detention, guarantees of the right to due
process and the right to a prompt and impartial trial.” Due its vague language, the Act
has been employed to arrest and detain thousands of Malaysian citizens since 1960.
Furthermore, persons held in custody under the ISA have frequently been subjected to
physical and mental abuse.clxxii The ISA has been disproportionately used to target the
Hindu/Indian community.
In 2008, the Malaysia government declared HINDRAFan illegal organization under the
aforementioned ISA, stating that it would, “continue to pose a threat to public order,
the security and sovereignty of the country as well as the prevailing racial harmony.”clxxiii
Moreover, the five HINDRAF leaders originally arrested in 2007 still remain in illegal
detention under the ISA. A six year old Hindu girl along with her mother and other
Hindu activists were arrested while submitting a letter to the Prime Minister’s office
asking for the release of the detained HINDRAF leaders. The six year old girl spent a
night at the police station with her mother.clxxiv
On May 14, 2008, the Malaysian federal court, comprised of members of the majority
Islamic population, upheld the detention as lawful. They also reinforced the right of the
prime minister to detain people in such a manner.clxxv In response to this law, 14
members of the Malaysian Hindu community went on a hunger strike that resulted in
the hospitalization of one person.clxxvi Subsequently, in September, the Malaysian High
Court rejected a Habeas Corpus application of the HINDRAF leaders, which challenged
their detention under the ISA. The ruling allows the Advisory Board of the Kamunting
Detention Center (where the detainees are currently being held) to hold secret
proceedings without the presence of the detainees or their legal counsel.clxxvii
A recent mission by Amnesty International to Malaysia severely criticized the Malaysian

government for its use of the ISA to punish ethnic Indian human rights activists for
political dissent. Amnesty International further demanded the immediate release of the
five detained HINDRAF leaders.clxxviii
Malaysia has also recently established an immigration policy that significantly impacts
Hindus coming in from India. Specifically, a new visa policy was instituted, placing severe
restrictions on foreign born Indians applying for visas to work in Malaysia. According to
some reports, the Malaysian government has placed a complete ban on the issuance of

new visas for Indian workers. The visa restrictions are seen by some as linked to the
earlier protests held by Malaysian Hindus demanding equal rights.clxxix

Constitution of Malaysia
Malaysia’s Constitution upholds Islam as, “the religion of the Federation,”clxxx but
provides for the practice of other religions, “in peace and harmony.” Part II of the
Constitution defines the fundamental liberties of people, which include the right to
equality before the law; the right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly; and the
right to, “prove and practice his religion.” The Constitution also guarantees that every
religious group may, “manage its own religious affairs, establish and maintain
institutions for religious or charitable purposes, and acquire and own property and hold
and administer it in accordance with law.” Furthermore, religious groups hold the right,
“to establish and maintain institutions for education of children in its own religion,”
although the Federation retains the right to, “establish or maintain or assist in
establishing or maintaining Islamic institutions.” Additionally, the Constitution
mandates that no individual is, “required to receive instruction in or take part in any
ceremony or act of worship of a religion other than his own.” Clearly, state-sponsored
temple destruction and infringements on personal religious freedom seen in Malaysia
today are direct violations of the aforementioned guarantees enshrined in the nation’s
Constitution.
Malaysia continues to violate basic human rights law enshrined in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (1948). For instance, the government’s suppression of
HINDRAF’s peaceful activities restricts the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and
Association contrary to Article 20 of the Declaration. Other forms of discrimination and
persecution, including the use of the ISA, the destruction of temples and economic
policies favoring the majority Malaysian Muslim community, all infringe on international
human rights standards.
Unfortunately, Malaysia has not taken any action toward signing or ratifying the United
Nation’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) or the International
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Despite this,
however, it must still respect the civil and political rights of all its people under
customary international law.

Over the past decade, the rights of minorities in Malaysia have eroded as the
government shifts from its seemingly secular state to one that is rooted in conservative
Islam. Religious freedom is not protected and for ethnic Malays, does not exist at all.
Three urgent concerns are the lack of freedom of religion, the ongoing destructions of
temples and the continuing detention of five HINDRAF leaders. The Malaysia Supreme
Court should abide by Article 11 in the constitution and not force religion upon residents
of Malaysia.
The U.S., United Nations and various human rights groups should pressure the
Malaysian government to protect Hindu temples from desecration and destruction —
the primary institutions of the Hindu community in Malaysia. Hindu places of worship
that existed prior to independence should be designated as temple property and title to
the land should be handed to the respective temple trustees/committees as has been
done for pre-independence era mosques. The Malaysian Government should be urged
to not discriminate in the allocation of public funds and land for places of worship
between Muslim and minority religious groups. In addition, the government should aid
Tamil schools in Malaysia as they are required to do.
Furthermore, the U.S. must abandon any proposed Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) with
Malaysia unless the Malaysian Government drops it ethno-religious affirmative action
policy, which favors the majority Muslim Malays. The FTA, as currently constituted,
would require both foreign and domestic (non-manufacturing) investors to take on
ethnic Malay partners (who would hold a minimum 30% of share capital). As a result,
conclusion of the FTA with Malaysia would further the uneven distribution of wealth,
thereby leaving the Indian Hindu minority at an increased economic disadvantage.clxxxi
And finally, the U.S. should restrict any future appropriations, particularly military and
economic assistance, to Malaysia, unless the government protects the human rights of
its ethnic and religious minorities, repeals the repressive Internal Security Act (ISA) and
ends its affirmative action policies favoring the majority Muslim Malays (bumiputras).
Alternatively, if humanitarian or economic assistance is given, it should be for the
benefit of the marginalized and religiously persecuted Hindu minority and accountability
for human rights should be a condition upon which aid is granted.

Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Area: 803,940 sq km
Population: 164,741,924 (July 2007 estimate)
Religions: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi’a 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3%
Ethnic groups: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from
India at the time of partition and their descendants)
Languages: Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu
(official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, Other 8% (mainly English and
Burushaski)
Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran
and Afghanistan on the west and China in the northclxxxii
Introduction
Parliamentary elections in February 2008 brought to power a new coalition government
under the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s
Pakistan Muslim League (PML). Despite the change in government, however, civil
Islamic Republic of Pakistan 48 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

institutions, including the judiciary, remain weak, while the military establishment
continues to wield tremendous power and influence.
The nation also experienced an unprecedented explosion in Islamic violence and

Talibanization. Large parts of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), on the
border with Afghanistan, came under the control of the Pakistani Taliban, who imposed
a strict version of Islamic law. Islamists also extended their influence outside of the
tribal areas and into the settled cities of North West Frontier Province. In addition to
civilians and military/government targets, radical militants attacked foreigners. For
example, in August, militants attempted to assassinate a U.S. diplomat, and in
November, an American aid worker was killed along with his driver in Peshawar.clxxxiii
Although Islamic extremists now pose a serious threat to the stability of Pakistan itself,
members in the government, military and intelligence services continue to support and
protect them.clxxxiv
For years, Pakistan has nurtured and supported radical Islamic groups operating
throughout the subcontinent. Recent events in South Asia have highlighted the
extensive relationship between the Pakistani intelligence/military establishment and
extremist Muslim groups, such as Lashkar-e-Toiba. For instance, western intelligence
agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), concluded that Pakistan’s
notorious spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was responsible for the July
7th bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul and the upsurge in Taliban violence in
Afghanistan.clxxxv Moreover, the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai further exposed the
ISI’s role in fomenting terrorism in India.
History/Background
Pakistan is bordered on the south by the Arabian Sea, India on the east and Afghanistan
and Iran in the west. It has a number of diverse ethnic groups, including Punjabis,
Sindhis, Balochis, Pashtuns and Muhajirs. Punjabis comprise the largest group and
dominate the ranks of the government and military. The pre-eminence and political
power of the Punjabis has led to resentment from other ethnic groups, particularly
Balochis and Sindhis, and at times resulted in ethnic conflict. Pakistan has also been
plagued by sectarian violence between the majority Sunni and minority Shi’a Muslim
communities.clxxxvi
In addition, there has been a recent proliferation of Islamic schools, known as

madrasas in the past fifty years. Current estimates show that there are over 10,000
madrasas in Pakistan, whereas in 1956 there were only 244. Many of these schools
teach extreme and intolerant interpretations of Islam to children as young as five years
old.clxxxvii

Pakistan has a long history of training, supporting and using radical Islamic groups as a
tool of official foreign policy, resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians in
India and Afghanistan. These extremist groups have now turned their sites on Pakistan
itself, including military/government and civilian targets, with their stated intent of
turning the country into an Islamic state.
The modern Pakistani state was created by partitioning the subcontinent in 1947,
following the British withdrawal from India. Partition and the accompanying violence
forced millions of Hindus and Sikhs to flee Pakistan for the safety of India. As a result,
the number of Hindus in Pakistan began to rapidly decline. For instance, at the time of
Partition in 1947, the Hindu community in Pakistan was approximately 25%, and in
1998, it was down to only 1.6%.clxxxviii In the city of Karachi alone, the Hindu population
decreased from 51% in 1947, to only 2% in 1951, while Muslim population in the city
went from 42% to 96% during that same period.clxxxix Notwithstanding its recent decline,
Hindu civilization and culture has flourished in Pakistan for thousands of years.
At independence, Pakistan proclaimed itself an Islamic Republic. Since then, Islam has
become a central part of the country's national ideology and legal framework.
Although the Constitution provides for freedom of religion, that freedom is severely
limited and, “subject to law, public order and morality.” Consequently, actions or
speech deemed derogatory to Islam or Prophet Mohammed are not protected.
Moreover, the Constitution requires that laws be consistent with Islam and imposes
elements of Koranic law on both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.cxc
During the last several years, the rights of Pakistani minorities have deteriorated at an
alarming rate. I. A. Rehman, Director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
(HRCP), associates this erosion with the continued Islamization of the country initiated
by former President General Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s. Consequently, minorities live in
constant fear of threats to their lives and property, desecrations of their places of
worship and punishment under the Blasphemy Act.cxci Nuzzhat Shirin of the Aurat
Foundation adds: “It’s Muslims winning by intimidation. It’s Muslims overcoming a
culture by threatening it, by abducting young girls so that an entire community moves
out or succumbs to the Muslim murderers.”cxcii Pakistani Bishop T. Nasir renounced his
Pakistani nationality to protest deteriorating human rights conditions. In an
emotionally-charged plea to President Musharraf, he stated he experienced, “extreme
hate, religious discrimination, intolerance for the Christian community at every level of
Islamic society of Pakistan.”cxciii Noted human rights activist Suhas Chakma went even
further by describing the current system in Pakistan as “religious apartheid.”cxciv

The desperate human rights plight of religious minorities persisted in 2008, without
significant improvement. In particular, Hindus were the target of kidnappings, rape and
intimidation in Pakistan. There are also reports of desecration and destruction of Hindu

temples and lands, theft/looting of Hindu property, discrimination, abuse and abduction
of Hindu females. Additionally, many Pakistani Hindus suffer under the cruel and
inhumane bonded labor system. Furthermore, government regulations and laws
shaped by Islamic Sharia injunctions persecute Hindus and other religious minorities.
For instance, Islamic anti-blasphemy laws disproportionately affect Hindus, Christians
and Ahmadiyas.cxcv
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP): “Affiliation of a state to

a religion has always led to [institutionalizing] discrimination against those who profess
a different faith – and that is exactly what has happened in Pakistan. Discrimination by
the state, duly enshrined in the constitution and the laws of the land, encourages
additional social discrimination, virtually reducing religious minorities to second-class
citizens whose rights and welfare are easily ignored and violated both by the majority
community and the state.”cxcvi
A recently published International Religious Freedom Report adds that: “Discriminatory

legislation and the government's failure to take action against societal forces hostile to
those who practice a different religious belief fostered religious intolerance, acts of
violence and intimidation against religious minorities.”cxcvii
Religious Freedom
Hindus, and other minorities are routinely denied the freedom to practice their religion
through a series of discriminatory laws and attacks on their places of worship.
Discriminatory Laws
Islam has become institutionalized in Pakistan and permeates the legal framework
of the country. For instance, Article 2 of the Constitution proclaims that Islam is, “the
State religion of Pakistan,” and recognizes that the Koran and Sunnah as the highest
sources of law, not to be contradicted by secular laws.cxcviii Furthermore, Article 41(2)
expressly provides that an individual must be Muslim in order to hold the office of
President of Pakistan.cxcix
The Constitution also provides that high office holders must take the oath of office by
invoking an Islamic prayer, whether or not they are Muslim. On March 24, 2007, a
Hindu judge, Rana Bhagwandas, was sworn in as acting Supreme Court Chief Justice,
following the suspension of sitting Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.cc The
Hindu judge was required to take the Islamic oath, “[i]n the name of Allah, the most
Beneficent, the most Merciful,” and ended with, “May Allah Almighty help and guide
me, (A’meen).”cci The Constitution and other statutory laws favor Muslims and directly
and indirectly discriminate against religious minorities, thereby making them second-
class citizens.

Blasphemy Laws
The blasphemy laws, which are part of Pakistan's Penal Code, impose severe
punishments for insults to the Prophet Mohammed or desecration of the Koran.
Section 295-C of the Penal Code provides the harshest penalty by mandating the death
penalty for the use of derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed.ccii These
archaic laws have harmed all sections of Pakistani society, but have had the greatest
impact on religious minorities, particularly Hindus, Christians and Ahmadiyas. There are
currently dozens of blasphemy cases pending in the court system, while the accused
languish in jail under oppressive conditions.cciii
There have been over 4,000 registered blasphemy cases since the laws’ inception in the
1980’s, with the accused often being killed by Muslim mobs. According to Pakistani
analysts: “In most cases, the accused languish in prison until their cases are decided, but
even behind bars, they live in fear of violence against them by other inmates. The fears
of being set upon only increase after acquittal and release… In its 2008 annual report,
the [Human Rights Commission of Pakistan] comments that a growing number of
Muslims in Pakistan had begun to feel that the only true version of Islam is the one they
practise, and as the State had failed in its duty to protect the interests of the religion
‘that it is their religious duty to enforce it on all and sundry by deploying all possible
means, including the use of force against those who do not fall in line.’”cciv
The blasphemy laws have often been misused and employed as a means to target and
harass non-Muslims. For instance, from January 1 to June 1 2007, out of 25 alleged
blasphemy cases, 16 involved Christians. On January 26, 2007 criminal cases were
registered against five Ahmadi children, some as young as eight years old.ccv In 2006,
44% of the registered blasphemy cases involved non-Muslims, and in 2005, 33% of the
accused were non-Muslims, of which 6% were Hindu. Considering
that Hindus, Christians and Ahmadiyas collectively account for only 4% of the
population, they have been disproportionately targeted.ccvi Furthermore, these laws
inherently discriminate against minorities and severely restrict freedom of thought and
religion.
In addition to formal legal cases, Muslim fundamentalists have used the blasphemy laws
to justify physical attacks on minorities. A disturbing example from 2008 was the
lynching of 27 year-old Jagdesh Kumar, a factory worker from Marwari Mohalla, Lyari, in
Sindh province. According to the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), Jagdesh was
murdered by his Muslim coworkers, who accused him of committing blasphemy against
Islam. Some reports, however, indicate that his relationship with a female Muslim
coworker angered other Muslims in the factory and was the real reason he was killed.
Jagdesh was beaten to death and screwdrivers were driven into his eyes, while more
than two dozen policemen and factory management witnessed the incident without
intervening to stop the attack. Following the incident, extremists groups threatened the
local Hindu community and warned them of further attacks if they reported the murder

to the police or the media. Moreover, the police and the factory’s management
pressured Mr. Kumar’s family against filing a case.ccvii
In another recent case, a Hindu child was reportedly stripped of his clothes, beaten up
and paraded naked by a group of Muslim protestors, after rumors circulated that he had
burnt a copy of the Koran. Apparently the protestors also put pressure on the police to
take action against the young child. The boy, who worked for a grocery store in a small
town in Sindh, accidentally wrapped a customer’s goods in a piece of paper that
contained a verse from the Koran. The child’s father later apologized and explained that
his son was unaware of what was written on the paper.ccviii
Ahmadiyyas were also recently targeted under the blasphemy laws, as they were
prohibited from openly celebrating a religious festival after receiving complaints from
local Islamic clerics who claimed celebration of the event, “hurt the sentiments of
Muslims.” The objections from the Islamic clerics and the subsequent police action
were justified under Sections 298-B and C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which comprise
part of the blasphemy laws. The complaint registered with the police specifically stated:
"The accused persons were lighting their places and distributing sweets which means
they were preaching their religion that 'hurt' the sentiments of Muslims. So, police
should take action according to the law."ccix
Besides the existing blasphemy laws, an Apostasy Bill was introduced by a coalition of
Islamist parties, known as the Mutathida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), in the National
Assembly in May 2007. The Bill requires the death penalty for a Muslim man converting
to another religion and a life sentence for a Muslim woman convicted of the same
offense.ccx
Religious Identification Laws
On March 24, 2005, Pakistan restored the discriminatory practice of mandating the
identification of religion of individuals in all new passports. The Pakistan federal
cabinet, with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in chair, directed the Ministry of Interior to
reintroduce the rule after its repeal under the Zafaraullah Khan Jamali government in
2004. The move was seen as a concession to the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a
coalition of hard-line religious parties that support General Musharraf.ccxi Religious
Identification laws tend to promote discrimination against non-Muslims as they
separately identify minorities from the majority Muslim population. This further
establishes their inferior status and also leaves them vulnerable to religious
persecution and harassment at the hands of government officials.
Temples/Pilgrimage Sites
Pakistan is home to several ancient Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites, but there has
been a drastic decline in the number and condition of Hindu temples since the partition
of the subcontinent in 1947. For instance, in the north-western city of Peshawar, there
are only two remaining Hindu temples. Moreover, many of the existing temples suffer

from decay and neglect (from a lack of funds/government support) and are subject to
attacks and illegal encroachments. The continued demolition and encroachment of
Hindu temples in Pakistan is often accomplished with the tacit support of government
authorities and police. In many parts of the country, Hindus are prevented from building
new temples and/or freely practicing their religion. For example, according to a report
by Pastor Rafiq Bhatti of the Stephens Shaheed Foundation, an organization that works
primarily with Christians, even in Hindu villages in rural Sindh Province, Hindus are
refused permission to build places of worship.ccxii
Furthermore, according to a recent report by the United States Commission on

International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), “Hindu temples have been the object of
violence in the province of Baluchistan, where Hindus are the largest religious minority
and where ethnic Baluchi insurgents have been waging a struggle against the central
government for many years.”ccxiii
In May 2008, the Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (PETPB) leased a 100-year old
Hindu temple to a Muslim man in Karachi, who converted the sacred site into an auto
repair workshop. According to an article in the Daily Times, a Pakistani newspaper,
“[r]usted broken iron bars, scratched plasters, wrecked fences and cars parked outside
for repairs are the sights at the century-old Ratan Talha Hindu temple, once known for
its beautiful architecture.” Moreover, the Muslim owner of the workshop now uses the
main prayer area as a storeroom and restricts local Hindu devotees from visiting the
temple.ccxiv The PETPB is responsible for managing a large number of Hindu properties,
including temples, left behind by Hindus who fled for India at the time of partition in
1947. The Trust Board lacks adequate Hindu representation and has consistently failed
to consult Hindu organizations, such as the Pakistan Hindu Council, before making
decisions regarding Hindu properties and places of worship.ccxv
Another example is the Shri Varun Dev Mandir, a Hindu temple estimated to be more
than 1,000 years old. Due to a lack of funds and government support, the ancient
temple, which faces the Arabian Sea in Manora Island, Karachi, is currently in a state of
decay and disrepair. According to the temple’s caretaker, the temple has been unable
to hold services or rituals since the 1950s, and is regularly desecrated by local Muslims,
who use its premises as bathrooms.ccxvi
Moreover, the Katas Raj Temple located in the Katas Valley near Chakwal in Punjab
province, has been repeatedly looted for its ancient sculptures and relics, leaving only
one remaining sculpture. The Punjab Archaeology Department, which is responsible for
renovating and preserving the historic temple, has continuously failed to provide
adequate security at the temple complex. Pundit Javed Akram Kumar, chief of the Katas
Raj Parbandh Committee, explained that the, “temple was one of the most ancient sites
in the country. He said the Katas valley had been famous for its beauty and centuries
ago, there used to be a Sanskrit University in the valley which had produced many
eminent scientists, including Alberuni, who had written his book ‘Kitab Al Hind’ at the

university. Kumar added that there had been a Buddhist stupa at the site, which had
signs of an ancient [civilization] that lived in the area centuries ago.”ccxvii
And in July 2007, an ancient 400 yr-old Ashnan Ghat (sacred bathing site) in Lahore,
which holds great religious importance for both Hindus and Sikhs, was transferred to the
Fatima Jinnah Medical College in order to build a hostel on the site. The Hindu and Sikh
communities have demanded revocation of the transfer.ccxviii
Pakistan also has a number of sacred pilgrimage sites, which are visited by thousands of
pilgrims every year, including the famous Mata Hinglaj Temple, located in a mountain
cave on the banks of the River Hingol in Baluchistan province. Hindu pilgrims have
previously come under attack by Muslim extremists, including an incident in 2006,
where two pilgrims were killed and seven wounded after militants attacked a caravan
carrying Hindu pilgrims in Sindh.ccxix
General Violence
Attacks on Minorities
Religious minorities in Pakistan continue to face regular attacks, and live in constant fear
for their safety. Of particular concern, are the frequent abductions of Hindus, which has
left the Hindu community in Pakistan in a continuous state of fear and insecurity, with
little protection from law enforcement or government authorities. According to Mukesh
Kumar, Pakistan People’s Party Member of Provincial Assembly, at least one Hindu is
kidnapped every month.
The failure of government authorities to protect Hindus has forced many to pay local
gangs ‘protection money’ to avoid being kidnapped for ransom. Often times,
however, a family is unable to pay ’protection money’ and cannot afford the demanded
ransom, resulting in the abducted victim being murdered.ccxx
In the beginning of 2008, three Hindus, Dr. Kundan, Parkash Kumar and Dilip Kumar,
were kidnapped near Dera Allah Yar in Baluchistan province, while traveling on their
way to Jacobabad in Sindh province.ccxxi In August, a Hindu boy named Omraj, was
kidnapped by the Tehreek-e-Taliban (Pakistani Taliban), and kept in captivity in the
Mohmand Agency in North-western Pakistan, while they demanded a ransom for his
release.ccxxii And in November, three additional Hindus were abducted from Godki, in
Sindh province, and held hostage for a ransom of 25 lakh rupees.ccxxiii
During July, three unidentified men held more than 200 Hindu women hostage at
gunpoint, while they robbed them of hundreds of thousands of rupees in cash, and
jewelry worth millions of rupees. The incident took place at a Hindu temple in
Jacobabad, Sindh, while the women were gathered for their regular prayers. Two
women, Kanta Bai and Shrimati Gunni, were injured while trying to resist the attack.
Enraged by the event, hundreds of members of the local Hindu community, led by Babu

Mahesh Lakhani, former president of the Hindu Panchayat, Jacobabad, held a rally to
protest the attack. According to a Pakistani media source: “Babu Mahesh, while
addressing the rally, said the Hindu community was being harassed under a deep-rooted
conspiracy. ‘Even our honour is at stake now,’ the Hindu community leader said. He
said that it was the responsibility of the government to protect their honour, property
and life. ‘But nobody is there to help us. Now we are being looted even at our temples
and houses,’ he added.”ccxxiv
In another incident in September, Dewan Mourang Mal, a Hindu businessman, was held
hostage at gunpoint in his home, and robbed of cash, gold and other valuables.ccxxv And
in the previous year, five fifteen year-old Hindu boys from the Meghwar community
were subjected to torture while spending 5 days in police custody. They were initially
arrested on dubious charges filed by Dr. Mehak Ali Mari, of the Phuladiyoon Rural
Health Center, alleging that they stole wheat crops.ccxxvi
Other religious minorities, including Christians and Ahmadiyyas have also been
subjected to widespread violence. For instance, in 2008, three Christians from Karachi
were abducted near the Afghan-Pakistan border region, when they were crossing into
Pakistan. The three worked for a construction company in Afghanistan and were
returning home when they went missing.ccxxvii
Violence Against Women

Violence against women is used as a weapon of intimidation and subjugation and is
prevalent throughout Pakistan. Every year, thousands of Pakistani women are the
victims of honor killing, rape, kidnapping and domestic violence. Hindu women, along
with other minorities, are particularly vulnerable to gender based violence and suffer
disproportionately.
Violence against women is a serious problem throughout the world, but more so in
Pakistan, particularly against Hindu women. This violence occurs primarily in the form of
rape, honor killings and domestic abuse. In Pakistan, a woman is raped every two hours
on average, a gang-rape occurs every 8 hours and about 1,000 women die annually from
honor killings. The AHRC estimates that, “From 2000 to 2006, roughly 9379 women
were killed throughout Pakistan in different disputes including 117 from rape. There
were another 3116 cases of reported rape, 1260 gang rapes, 4572 honor killings, while
1503 women were burned to death.”ccxxviii These statistics only account for those crimes
that were actually reported and the numbers for unreported incidents are much higher.
Although violence is disproportionately used against Hindu women as a weapon of

subjugation and religious persecution, the crimes transcend religion, and Muslim
women are frequent targets of Islamic extremists. For example, in August, the Pakistani
Taliban’s moral police executed two Muslim women for engaging in allegedly “immoral
behavior.” A note left on their dead bodies threatened other women similar

consequences for similar behavior. According to the Taliban and other Islamists,
“immoral behavior” includes talking to men outside of their families.ccxxix
In another horrific incident, five women were buried alive in Baluchistan province.
According to the AHRC, the younger brother of Sadiq Umrani, a provincial minister in
Baluchistan, was involved in the incident.ccxxx Subsequently, three more women were
buried alive after they protested the earlier incident.ccxxxi
Hudood Ordinance
The Hudood Ordinance in Pakistan is a medieval law used to oppress and intimidate
women and has been used to imprison thousands of women who report rapes. Under
the ordinance, in order to prove rape charges, a female rape victim is required to
present the testimony of four male witnesses. If she is unable to do so, she may then be
punished for committing adultery.ccxxxii This law effectively silences rape victims since
they face the possibility of being charged with adultery, as it is highly unrealistic to
expect a woman to produce four male eye-witnesses to the crime.
The Women’s Rights Bill, introduced in November 2006, slightly amended the Hudood
Ordinance by reducing the required male eye-witnesses for a rape conviction from four
to two. Although this was a positive step forward, the new Women’s Rights Bill still
presents substantial obstacles for rape victims to achieve justice. Unfortunately, other
provisions of the Hudood Ordinance still remain intact.ccxxxiii Despite repeated calls by
women’s rights and human rights group to repeal the ordinance, the Pakistani
government has yet to take action.
In addition to the Hudood Ordinances, the qisas (retribution) and diyat (compensation)
ordinances allow an honor killing to be forgiven by the victim’s relatives in exchange for
monetary compensation. Moreover, the compensation for an honor crime against a
woman is only half that of a male victim.ccxxxiv
Rape/Kidnapping/Forced Conversions
A worrisome trend in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh province, is the abduction and
forced conversion to Islam of Hindu girls. According to a report prepared by the ACHR:
“It is a crime for the Hindus to have land and beautiful daughters. Kidnapping, rape and
forcible marriage of Hindu girls is a common practice. In case of arrest, the accused can
get away by producing a certificate issued by any Muslim seminary that the kidnapped
girls have voluntarily adopted Islam and the accused have married the girls. The courts
generally do not consider the fact that most of the girls are minor and simply accept the
certificate of conversion without any investigation. It has been reported that more than
15 families are forcibly converted from Hinduism to Islam in Sindh province every year.
Often, young Hindu girls were kidnapped and forcibly married.”ccxxxv

Several Islamic seminaries in Sindh incite their Muslim students to convert Hindu girls,
telling them that it is the equivalent of, ”Haj-e-Akbari,” or the greatest religious duty for
Muslims.ccxxxvi Wasim Shahzad, the Minister of State for Interior, believes that
kidnappings and forced conversions, “are taking place to force the Hindus to leave
Pakistan where they have been living for the past 5,000 years.”ccxxxvii
In 2007 HAF reported a case that vividly illustrated the problems faced by Hindu girls of
abduction and forced conversion. Seventeen year-old Hindu girl, Deepa, in Tharparkar
district of Sindh province was receiving private tutoring from a Muslim teacher, Ashraf
Kashkheli, and was kidnapped by Kashkheli on the night of December 31, 2006. After
kidnapping Deepa, Kashkheli reportedly took her to an Islamic school, forcibly converted
her to Islam and then married her. The owner of the madrasa (Islamic seminary), Ayube
Jan Sarhandi, gave Kashkheli safe passage out of the area and provided a certificate
stating that Deepa had voluntarily accepted Islam. Deepa’s parents and the Hindu
community, however, allege that she was forced to convert and marry Kashkheli.ccxxxviii
Additionally, Deepa was still a minor, so the marriage was illegal under Pakistani law.
When Deepa’s parents tried to file a criminal complaint, the local police declined to
register the case. Moreover, since Sarhandi, the owner of the madrassa, was politically
connected, the provincial chief minister’s advisors also pressured the family not to
register a police complaint. Deepa’s whereabouts are still unknown.ccxxxix The Human
Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) confirms that such kidnappings and forced
conversions are typical in Sindh.ccxl
In addition to kidnappings and forced conversions, Hindu women are also vulnerable to
rape and sexual assualt. A disturbing example was the gang rape of three Hindu women
in the village of Ghulam Ali Khwar in Larkana district of Sindh in late February 2007.
During the incident, eight armed men attacked a Hindu residence, held the family at
gunpoint and raped the three women before leaving with stolen property.ccxli Former
Prime Minister, the late Benazir Bhutto condemned the episode and criticized
the government for its inaction in bringing the culprits to justice.ccxlii This horrific
event followed similar incidents earlier in the month in Ghotki, where two women,
Nasima Labano and Nasima Girgej, were also raped.ccxliii
Similarly, Christian girls are also subjected to kidnappings and forced conversions. For
example, earlier this year two young sisters, aged 10 and 13, were on their way to visit
their uncle when they were kidnapped by a Muslim man at gunpoint and forcibly
converted to Islam. The girls were then sold to another man, who forced the older girl
to marry his son, while receiving a fatwa from a Muslim religious leader justifying the
act. The issue went to the local court in Muzaffargarh district in Punjab province, where
the judge ordered that the girls could not return to their Christian parents because they
were now “converted” to Islam. Subsequently, the case was appealed to the Lahore
High Court where the judge sent the girls into a government shelter for protection while
the case was being decided.ccxliv

Islamic Extremism
According to the HRCP: “A growing number of Muslims have begun to feel that the only
true version of Islam is the one they [practice], and that it is their religious duty to
enforce it on all and sundry by deploying all possible means, including the use of force
against those who do not fall in line. They contend that the state has failed to serve
Islam, which it was bound to do, and it is, therefore, their bounden duty to spread their
version of the true faith at all cost.”ccxlv
Pakistan is now at the center of global terrorism and violent Islamic extremism. There
are a number of groups operating freely throughout the country, who promote Islamic
rule, violent jihad (holy war) and hatred towards non-Muslims. These groups, who
enjoy the support of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, include Lashkar-e-Taiba, Tehreek-
e-Taliban (Pakistani Taliban), Lashkar-e-Omar (a loose coalition of several militant
groups), Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi, Muslim United Army (an umbrella
organization consisting of several extremist groups), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Jaish-e-
Mohammed. According to Hafiz Muhammed Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba,
which was recently linked to the terrorist attacks in Mumbai: “the purpose of Jihad is to
carry out a sustained struggle for the dominance of Islam in the entire world…” In
addition, there are several militant sectarian Sunni and Shia groups, such as Sipah-e-
Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhanghvi, Sipah-e-Mohammed and Tehreek-e-Jaferia Pakistan (for a
detailed list of Islamic militant groups please see Appendix C).ccxlvi
The reach of extremists has now extended far beyond the tribal areas, with Islamists
targeting civilian and military targets in major cities throughout the country. Non
Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working on development projects and women’s
rights, have been increasingly threatened by Islamic groups such as the Tehreek-e-
Taliban.ccxlvii
Islamists have also increasingly started to impose Islamic law in areas under their
control, particularly in the North West Frontier Province. According to reports from the
region, “Taliban militants are beheading and burning their way through Pakistan's
picturesque Swat Valley and residents say the insurgents now control most of the
mountainous region outside the lawless tribal areas where jihadists thrive.”ccxlviii In
addition, a recent fact-finding mission by the HRCP found that in Charsadda District,
“[s]everal video shops were bombed and even bank employees were warned to wear
Islamic dresses and female workers [were ordered] to stop working in banks.”ccxlix
Furthermore, the Pakistani Taliban destroyed approximately 150 schools in North-
western Pakistan and ordered all privately administered schools in the Swat Valley to
close.ccl

Social Persecution
Bonded Labor
The bonded labor system in Pakistan systematically enslaves an estimated 1.7 million
people, many of whom are young children. This modern day form of slavery primarily
affects poor Hindus, who constitute the majority of bonded laborers, particularly in rural
Sindh province where they work for Muslim landowners. Although the system is found
primarily in Sindh, it is also practiced in parts of Punjab province.ccli
The U.S. Department of Labor maintains that the debt bondage system in Pakistan
operates by, “giving advances of peshgi” (bonded money) to a person. As long as all or
part of the peshgi debt remains outstanding, the debtor/worker is bound to the
creditor/employer. In case of sickness or death, the family of the individual is
responsible for the debt, which often passes down from generation to generation. In
the case of children, the peshgi is paid to a parent or guardian, who then provides the
child to work off the debt.”cclii The system is characterized by patterns of abuse,
detention and exploitation.ccliii While describing their conditions, a group of released
bonded laborers reported that, “… they were kept in illegal confinement by owners of
brick kilns and worked there at gunpoint. They further told that owners of the brick kilns
had also threatened to sell them in Quetta.”ccliv
In 1992, Pakistan passed the Bonded Labor (Abolition) Act, outlawing all forms of
bonded labor and forgiving any outstanding debt owed by laborers to their
employers.cclv Despite this legislation, local government officials have
been uncooperative in ending the practice and securing the release of bonded laborers.
Moreover, the police are often unwilling to register complaints against abusive
landowners. Although human rights groups, particularly the HRCP, have helped release
thousands of debt laborers, the laborers are frequently recaptured by
their landlords.cclvi
Notwithstanding these efforts by human rights organizations and the passage of

the Bonded Labor (Abolition) Act, the practice of debt labor continues to thrive
and plague poor Hindus and other marginalized segments of Pakistani society.
Hindus, along with other minorities, face systemic economic and political discrimination
in Pakistan. The majority of Hindus in Pakistan are poor and economically marginalized,
with large numbers enslaved in the bonded labor system. For example, during his visit
with Hindu villagers, Pastor Rafique Bhatti of the Stephens Shaheed Foundation found
that Hindus suffered from a lack of education and job opportunities. According to the
villagers he met with, the government failed to provide Hindu villages with basic

facilities, including a regular water supply, electricity, medical treatment and schools.cclvii
Hindus are also severely underrepresented in government jobs. With the exception of
former Supreme Court Justice Rana Bhagwandas, Hindus rarely hold top civilian or
military positions.cclviii According to a census of federal civil servants taken in 2006, only
0.21% of available civil service positions were held by Hindus. This is well below their
overall population, which is approximately 1.6%.cclix
In addition to economic discrimination, religious minorities, including Hindus, are

politically disenfranchised and lack genuine representation. An HRCP report from 2007,
for instance, found that significant numbers of minority voter names were left off voter
lists in Sindh province.cclx
Until recently, Pakistani Hindus had not organized politically. Starting in the 1990s,
however, Hindus became more assertive and joined alliances with other religious
minorities. In 2002, they joined Christians and other groups to form the All Pakistan
Minorities Alliance (APMA). Moreover, organizations such as the Pakistan Hindu
Welfare Association and coalitions of Hindu panchayats (local councils of elders) have
led in political organizing.cclxi
Hindus and other minorities achieved a rare political victory in 2002 with the removal of
separate electorates for Muslims and non-Muslims. The separate electorate system had
marginalized non-Muslims by depriving them of adequate representation in the
assemblies. The Pakistan Hindu Welfare Association was active by convening a national
conference on the issue in December 2000. And in 2001, Hindus, Christians, and
Ahmadis successfully conducted a partial boycott of the elections, culminating in the
abolishment of the separate electorate system in 2002. This allowed religious minorities
to vote for mainstream seats in the National and Provincial assemblies, rather than
being confined to voting for only minority seats.cclxii Despite the victory, however,
Hindus still remain largely disenfranchised.
Educational Discrimination
Pakistan’s education system, directly supported by millions of U.S. dollars, promotes
hatred and intolerance towards all non-Muslims, particularly Hindus.
A National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) report found that: “Government-
issued textbooks teach students that Hindus are backward and superstitious, and given
a chance, they would assert their power over the weak, especially, Muslims, depriving
them of education by pouring molten lead in their ears… The report added that students
were taught that Islam brought peace, equality and justice to the subcontinent, to check
the sinister ways of Hindus. ‘In Pakistani textbooks ‘Hindus’ rarely [appear] in a
sentence without adjective[s] such as politically astute, sly or manipulative,’ the report
says.”cclxiii

Furthermore, a report by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI),
Islamabad, “illustrates, through examples, how the education system is contributing to
the culture of sectarianism, religious intolerance and violence. Some of the important
findings of the SDPI are: the current curriculum and textbooks are ‘impregnating young
and impressionable minds with seeds of hatred’ to serve a self-styled ideological
straitjacket; substantial distortion of the nature and significance of actual events in
Pakistan's history; insensitivity to the existing religious diversity of the nation;
promotion of perspectives that encourage prejudice, bigotry and discrimination towards
fellow citizens, especially women and religious minorities and other nations; a
glorification of war and the use of force; and incitement to militancy and violence,
including encouragement of loaded concepts like jehad and martyrdom.”cclxiv
The following extracts (translated from Urdu to English) from government-sponsored

textbooks approved by the National Curriculum Wing of the Federal Ministry of
Education, demonstrate the derogatory and inflammatory portrayal of Hinduism to
the children of Pakistan:cclxv
• Grade IV: “The Muslims of Pakistan provided all facilities to the Hindus and the
Sikhs who left for India. But the Hindus and the Sikhs looted the Muslims in India
with both hands and they attacked their caravans, buses and railway trains.
Therefore, about one million Muslims were martyred on their way to Pakistan…
The Hindus treated the ancient population of the Indus Valley very badly. They
set fire to their houses and butchered them..The religion of Hindus did not teach
them good things, [and the] Hindus did not respect women.”
• Grade V: “The Hindu has always been an enemy of Islam.”
• Grade VI: “Before the Arab conquest the people were fed up with the teachings
of Buddhists and Hindus...The Hindus who had always been opportunists
cooperated with the British...The Hindus used to please the goddess Kali by
slaughtering people of other religions...The Hindu setup was based on injustice
and cruelty.”
• Grade VII: “Hindus always desired to crush the Muslims as a nation [and] several
attempts were made by the Hindus to erase Muslim culture and
civilization...Some Jewish tribes also lived in Arabia. They lent money to workers
and peasants on high rates of interest and usurped their earnings. They held the
whole society in their tight grip because of the ever-increasing compound
interest.”
• Grade VIII: “Before Islam people lived in untold misery all over the world.”

• Grade IX: “In connivance with the (British) government the Hindus started
communal riots and caused loss of life and property. At the time of prayers the
Hindus tortured the Muslims by playing music in front of the mosques.”
• Grade IX – X: “One of the reasons of the downfall of the Muslims in the sub-
continent was the lack of the spirit of jihad.”
• Grade X: “Islam gives a message of peace and brotherhood…There is no such

concept in Hinduism.”
In addition to these negative and inflammatory depictions of Hinduism, several

government run schools, particularly in Sindh, force Hindu students to take Islamic
studies classes. Hindu students and other minorities are denied the opportunity to take
classes in their own religions and often struggle in the Islamiyat courses. These schools
include N.A. Bechar Government Primary School, also known as Syed Mahmood Shah
Gazi and Sindh Madrasatul Islam School, in Karachi. Although the education board has
technically implemented an alternative ethics course, in reality the schools and teachers
still force non-Muslim students to take the Islamiyat classes.cclxvi

Constitution of Pakistan
Pakistan’s Constitution (Articles 20, 21 and 22) guarantees religious freedom and
safeguards to its citizens.cclxvii For example, Article 20 states that, “Every citizen shall
have the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion; and every religious
denomination and every sect thereof shall have the right to establish, maintain and
manage its religious institutions.”cclxviii However, Article 19 of the Constitution asserts
that, “Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there
shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in
the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defense of Pakistan,”
thus making religious freedom subordinate to the supremacy of Islam.cclxix Despite the
assurances provided in Articles 20-22, Article 19 establishes justification for the
persecution of Hindus, Christians, and Ahmadiyyas, including destruction
and desecration of their places of worship and punishment under the blasphemy laws.
Article 25 of the Constitution maintains that: “All citizens are equal before law and are
entitled to equal protection of law…There shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex
alone.”cclxx Despite the constitutional guarantee of equal protection, women regularly
face rape, honor killings and domestic abuse without adequate protection from
Pakistani laws. Moreover, they continue to face a myriad of inequalities in the judicial
system, and will continue to do so, as long as the Hudood Ordinance remains in effect.

Article 35 mandates that: “The State shall protect the marriage, the family, the mother
and the child.”cclxxi Article 36 states: “The State shall safeguard the legitimate rights and
interests of minorities, including their due representation in the Federal and Provincial
services.”cclxxii In reality, however, neither the rights of families nor minorities are being
protected by Pakistan as kidnappings and forced conversions of Hindu girls continue to
occur.
Curiously, Pakistan has taken no action toward signing or ratifying the UN’s International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), although it is still accountable for its
provisions under customary international law. Several of the Articles encompassed in
the ICCPR have been repeatedly violated by Pakistan. For instance, Article 18 protects
the basic, “right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion."cclxxiii The blasphemy
laws and their application to minorities, clearly violate this article. Moreover, under
Articles 26 and 27, religious minorities are guaranteed equality before the law and
freedom of religion without discrimination.cclxxiv Contrary to Articles 26 and 27,
however, the Constitutional preference for Islam, religious identification laws and
depiction of Hinduism in school textbooks, all promote discrimination against Hindus.
Additionally, the forced marriage of kidnapped Hindu girls to Muslim boys clearly
contravenes Article 23(2), which states: “No marriage shall be entered into without the
free and full consent of the intending spouses.”cclxxv
Other international covenants and human rights treaties are also relevant to the
situation in Pakistan. For instance, the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of
Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, applies to Pakistan's
treatment of its religious minorities, particularly Hindus. The Declaration mandates that
every person has the right to practice the religion of his/her choice and should not be
subject to discrimination based on his belief system.cclxxvi The institutionalization of
Islam by the government, however, has led to the social, economic and political
discrimination of Hindus and other religious groups. Moreover, contrary to the
Declaration, Hindus have been subjected to violence, conversions and other acts of
intolerance at the hands of Muslim extremists.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

requires the equal treatment of men and women before the law and calls for an end to
discrimination against women in all aspects of life.cclxxvii In addition, according to Article
4 of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, “States should
condemn violence against women and should not invoke any custom, tradition or
religious consideration to avoid their obligations with respect to its elimination. States
should pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating
violence against women....”cclxxviii The continued use of the Hudood Ordinance,
abduction and conversion of Hindu girls and systematic oppression and violence against
women are flagrant violations of these two conventions.

The Slavery Convention of 1926 strove to bring about, “the complete abolition of slavery
in all its forms.”cclxxix Similarly, under the Abolition of Forced Labor Convention,
countries are required to take all necessary steps to suppress and completely
abolish the practice of debt bondage or any other type of “forced or compulsory
labor”cclxxx The Pakistani government has violated the tenets of both the Forced Labor
Convention and the Slavery Convention of 1926 by failing to take adequate measures to
end the bonded labor system. Although the practice was officially outlawed in 1992
through the Bonded Labor (Abolition) Act, government officials have refused to enforce
it and are often complicit in allowing the practice to continue. Moreover, since debt
bondage is the modern equivalent of slavery, Pakistan’s actions have also violated the
Slavery Convention.
Regardless of whether Pakistan has signed or ratified all of the above human rights
treaties, it is still bound by their provisions under customary international law.
Customary international law holds nations accountable for the protection of basic
universal human rights.

HAF concurs with several other human rights organization in expressing serious concern
over the Pakistani government's continued failure to restore democracy and its
complicity in human rights violations against minorities. According to internationally
recognized criteria, Pakistan is not a free country today. Freedom House recently rated
the political rights enjoyed by Pakistan’s citizens at six (one above the lowest grade of
seven) and civil liberties enjoyed at five(two above the lowest grade of seven).cclxxxi
Pakistan must be pressured to rescind discriminatory laws, including the Blasphemy Act
and the mandated identification of religious affiliation in passports. As the U.S.
considers Pakistan an ally in the war against terrorism, it is critical that the U.S. urges
the Pakistani government to institute social and political reforms. Moreover, the
government should set up an independent Human Rights Commission and a National
Minorities Commission and end its support for cross-border terrorism in India.
HAF further recommends that the U.S. engage in increased dialogue with Pakistan on
the issues of human rights and religious freedom. Additionally, a fact-finding mission
should be organized by the USCIRF to investigate the desperate status of Hindus and
other minorities. International human rights organizations must also take a more active
role in highlighting the plight and suffering of the Hindu community in Pakistan.
The U.S. must condition financial assistance to Pakistan and withhold any further aid
until Pakistan takes genuine and concrete steps to dismantle the terror infrastructure it
has created within its territory. Moreover, any appropriations that are set aside for
Pakistan must be strictly for non-military uses. They must be used for educational and
development projects, for minority populations and for social and political reforms.

Finally, HAF calls directly on the government of Pakistan to take immediate steps for
the protection of Hindus from rape, kidnapping and forced conversions. School
textbooks must be modified so that they do not promote lies about Hinduism and
hatred against Hindus and other minorities, and instead promote tolerance and
pluralism.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
© CIA The World Factbook

Area: 2,149,690 sq. km
Religion: Exact numbers are unavailable. Saudi government claims all citizens are
Muslim, of these 85 percent are Sunni and 15 percent are Shiite. Non-Muslim migrant
workers within the state unofficially practice mainly Hinduism or Christianity.cclxxxii
Ethnicity: 90 percent are ethnically Arab, 10 percent are Afro-Asian. This does not
include the 7 million migrant workers who are predominantly South Asian in descent.
Languages: Arabic
Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen.cclxxxiii
Introduction
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest absolute monarchy and has been referred to as, “The
Kingdom of Hatred.” It is one of the most repressive and intolerant countries in the
world. Through a set of laws, government policies and religious and social practices,
citizens and, especially minorities, are systematically denied basic human rights, and
prohibited from freely practicing their religious beliefs. This not only includes non-
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 67 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

Muslims, such as Hindus, Christians, and Jews, but also Shia Muslims and Muslims who
do not subscribe to the government’s austere interpretation of Sunni Islam.cclxxxiv
Islam is the official state religion and the government follows the Wahhabi branch of the
Hanbali Sunni school of Islam. The Government does, in theory, allow some Shia
Muslims to adopt their own version of Sharia in matters of marriage and inheritance.
However, there are only two Shia judges in the entire state and Sunni courts can
overrule their judgments at any time.cclxxxv
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs is the administrative authority of all Saudi mosques and
imams. The ministry pays imams and mosque workers. The Commission to Promote
Virtue and Prevent Vice was established to insure public morality and reports to the
Royal Diwan.cclxxxvi In addition, the Government also forbids non-Muslim clergy from
entering the country with the intent of conducting religious services.cclxxxvii
Public practice of non-Muslim religions is prohibited. In principle, the Kingdom allows

the right to private worship and to use personal religious materials for all citizens,
including non-Muslims. Upon entering the state, the Government is required to inform
guest workers of their ability to worship privately. In practice, however, the right to
worship privately is also severely restricted and minorities have little means to redress
their grievances. Visitors to Saudi Arabia regularly report the confiscation of private
religious material including books and symbols and raids on private religious
services.cclxxxviii
History/Background
In the late eighteenth century, Saudi tribal ruler Muhammad bin Saud, and Wahhabi
cleric Muhammad Abd Al-Wahhab, merged to form a new political union on the Arabian
Peninsula.cclxxxix Over the course of the next century, the Saud family struggled to
maintain power against Egypt, the Ottoman Empire and other tribal bodies. In 1902,
King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud engaged in a successful military campaign to retake Riyadh and
other prominent cities. His nascent state was founded and recognized by the United
Kingdom in 1927 with the Treaty of Jedda. The three regions of Al-Hasa, the Nejd and
Hejaz officially became the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.ccxc
Vast reserves of oil were discovered in March 1938. This triggered development
programs in the late 1940s bankrolled by Western states, particularly the United States.
Today, Saudi Arabia is the leading petroleum producer and exporter. Oil constitutes 75%
of government revenues and 90% of all exports.ccxci
King Abdullah has led the country after the death of his half brother Fahd in August
2005. The monarch is the head of all the branches of the government. He appoints the
two legislative bodies, including the Council of Ministers and the Majlis-al-Shura
(Consultative Council) and the judicial branch as well. The king also appoints emirs to

administer the state’s regions. Political parties are forbidden and traditionally neither
men nor women possess the right to vote.ccxcii In October 2003, the government
allowed elections for half of the members of the powerless municipal councils, but
elections were not held until 2005.ccxciii Only male citizens over the age of 21, with the
exclusion of military personnel, were allowed to participate.
Saudi Arabia is an Islamic monarchy, as established by the 1992 Basic Law of

Government. The Qu’ran and Shari’a (Islamic law) serve as the state’s constitution.ccxcvi
Its law code is founded upon the conservative form of Sunni Islam, known as
Wahhabism. This permits judges to use capital or corporal punishment for crimes,
including murder, theft, sexual abuse, homosexuality and adultery. Crimes such as
drunkenness or those “against public morality” can also be punished.ccxcvii
The demographic composition of Saudi Arabia has transformed dramatically in the past
twenty years. Though ninety percent of Saudis are ethnically Arab, globalization has
created an increasingly pluralistic society. When King Saud abolished slavery in 1962, a
large demand for workers was created, leading to the steady influx of migrant workers
from poor and developing countries. Currently, there are an estimated 7 million
migrant workers, including 1.5 million Indians, 1.5 million Bangladeshis, 1.2 million
Filipinos, 1 million Pakistanis, 1 million Egyptians, 600,000 Indonesians, 400,000 Sri
Lankans, 350,000 Nepalese, 250,000 Palestinians, 150,000 Lebanese and 100,000
Eritreans.ccxcviii There are approximately 100,000 American and European workers in
Saudi Arabia as well. Foreigners comprise 67% of the workforce and hold 90 to 95% of
private-sector jobs.ccxcix

In 2008, Saudi Arabia failed to institute any major human rights reforms as rampant
human rights abuses continued to plague the country. Violations included
discrimination against minority religious communities, restrictions on freedom of
expression and the press and an absence of due process rights. Women remained
among the most vulnerable and persecuted groups.
Human Rights Watch found that: “The government continues to treat women as legal
minors, denying them a host of fundamental human rights. The government requires
women to obtain permission from a male guardian to work, study, marry, travel and
even receive a national identification card… Strictly enforced sex segregation hinders a
Saudi woman's ability to participate fully in public life.” For example, a businesswomen
was recently arrested for “illegally mingling” while accompanied by a male co-worker at
a Starbucks in Riyadh.ccc

Religious Freedom
In Saudi Arabia, all public expression of religion is strictly regulated and restricted unless
it conforms to the government’s approved version of Sunni Islam. As a result, the rights
of the country’s sizeable Shia minority, the estimated two to three million non-Muslim
foreign workers, including Hindus and Christians, and other Muslims are systematically
violated. Non-Muslims are forbidden from celebrating religious, cultural and national
holidays and festivals. Although the Saudi government, in theory, allows for the
freedom of private worship and possession of religious materials, in practice, private
religious conduct is also regulated. The government’s policies leave minorities
susceptible to widespread discrimination and persecution. The Saudi regime enforces
its religious writ through the Commission to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice (CPVPV),
and its enforcement arm, the mutawwa’in, or moral police, “… whose members harass,
detain, whip, beat and otherwise mete out extrajudicial punishments to individuals
deemed to have strayed from ‘appropriate’ dress or behavior.”ccci
Discriminatory Laws
There are a number of laws and government policies in place that directly and indirectly
discriminate against non-Muslims, Shias and Muslims who do not follow the
government’s interpretation of Islam.
Saudi Arabia is governed by Islamic law and there are no protections for freedom of
religion. Proselytizing by non-Muslims is illegal and criticism of Islam is strictly
prohibited. In addition, blasphemy or conversion out of Islam is punished by death.cccii
The Saudi government mandates that all non-citizens carry residence identity cards,
which designate whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim, leaving non-Muslims
vulnerable to discrimination and harassment. Moreover, Article 12.4 and 14.1 of the
Naturalization Law require applicants for citizenship to certify their religion and obtain a
certificate sanctioned by a local imam, effectively excluding non-Muslims from acquiring
Saudi citizenship.ccciii
Saudi laws also provide for disparate judicial rules, favoring Muslim males and
discriminating against non-Muslims and women. For example, a Jewish or Christian
plaintiff can only recover half the compensation a Muslim male would in a favorable
court judgment, while certain other religious groups, such as Hindus, Buddhists and
Sikhs are only allowed to recover 1/16 the amount a Muslim male is entitled to. In
addition, judges may reject the testimony of non-Muslims during court proceedings.ccciv
Furthermore, children of all male citizens are considered Muslims, regardless of the
religious tradition in which they are raised or born into.

And finally, customs regulations, found on the state-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines web
site, prohibit visitors to Saudi Arabia from carrying articles of non-Muslim religions,
which would include Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians and Jews.cccv
The Commission to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice (CPVPV)

The Commission to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice (CPVPV) was created in 1927 to
enforce the government’s interpretation of Islamic Shari’a law and has the authority to
monitor a range of activities including: “mixing of the two sexes; men's advances toward
women; practicing or displaying non-Muslim faiths or disrespecting Islam; displaying or
selling media contrary to Islam, including pornography; producing, distributing, or
consuming alcohol; venerating places or celebrating events inconsistent with Islamic
practices; practicing magic for profit; and committing or facilitating of lewdness,
including adultery, homosexuality and gambling.” (ft note)cccvi
The CPVPV’s mandate is enforced through the religious police, known as the
mutawwa’in. According to the CPVPV President, the organization currently has 5,000
staff members, of which there are 3,227 mutawwa’in spread throughout the country. In
2007, the CPVPV reportedly made 406,000 arrests.cccvii Additionally, there have been
several reports of mutawwa’in raids on private residences and deportations of non-
Muslim foreign workers. Some of those convicted received lashes prior to
cccviii
deportation.
Islamic Extremism
Although Islamic extremism is a global phenomenon, Saudi Arabia often provides the
monetary and ideological foundation for its continued growth. The Institute for Gulf
Affairs asserts that: “[t]he religious policies of the Saudi government have contributed
to the rise of extremism and terror groups worldwide, including Al-Qaeda and others.
Saudis are leading contributors of money and support to international terrorist groups
and make up the highest numbers of suicide bombers around the world, which often
occurs with either the direct support or the tacit approval of Saudi authorities.”cccix
Moreover, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
has repeatedly expressed its concerns regarding the role of the Saudi regime in
supporting the widespread dissemination of a narrow and intolerant form of Islam that
has resulted in human rights violations and extremist violence.cccx
Social Persecution
Discrimination Against Foreign Workers

Saudi Arabia is a destination country for workers from South and Southeast Asia, many
of whom are Indians, working primarily in unskilled and blue-collar jobs. Such workers
are subjected to the kafala (sponsorship) system, which gives employers control over
their residency permits and often creates cruel and inhuman conditions. In particular,

foreign workers routinely face physical and sexual abuse, labor exploitation, restriction
of movement and punitive immigration laws.cccxi
In addition, domestic workers are systematically denied religious freedom by the Saudi
government.cccxii According to the USCIRF:
There is a general attitude and policy of the government of curtailing

universal rights for non-Saudi visitors to the country and inhibiting the
enjoyment of human rights on an equal basis for expatriate workers,
particularly for the two – three million non-Muslim workers, including
Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and others, who have come to Saudi Arabia
for temporary employment. Provisions often included in labor contracts
require expatriate workers to conform to Saudi religious customs and
traditions, in the process forcing them to waive their inalienable human
rights and submitting them to the limits of, and rights abuses by, Saudi
employers…cccxiii
Moreover, the government actively supports the conversion of non-Muslim foreign

workers. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Center for Islamic Education Foundation
sponsors “Call and Guidance” centers employing 500 persons to convert foreign workers
to Islam. The state media reported in 2006 that over 4,200 expatriates of various
nationalities converted to Islam in the past ten years.cccxiv There are also reports of
several non-Muslims who experienced significant pressure to convert by work
colleagues.
There have been several incidents of CPVPV members raiding private homes, where
non-Muslims were worshipping. One recent example was the arrest of 15 Indian
Christians in Qassim Province, for holding private religious services. The CPVPV
conducted the raid on May 23, 2008, during which they confiscated Christian religious
material and slapped the group’s pastor. After being taken to jail, the workers were
released later that night.cccxv
In addition, reports indicate that mutaawa’in have been compelling employers to stop
renewing the residency cards of non-Muslim workers, if they were found to be involved,
or suspected of involvement, in private religious services. The mutawwa’in have further
tried to force employers and sponsors to make agreements with non-Muslims that they
would abstain from taking part in private worship services.cccxvi
Education System
Intolerance of other religions is embedded in the kingdom’s educational institutions and
curriculum. Schools teach Islamic law and the mandated curriculum with textbooks for

grades 1 through 12 relies heavily upon the teachings of Ibn ‘Abd ul Wahhab. Teachers
are obligated to instruct students on the tenets of Islam, and all who are not Wahhabis
are treated as outsiders.
First grade materials teach that Islam is the only true religion and fourth grade
textbooks forbid Muslims to befriend non-Muslims. Textbooks in tenth grade promote
Zionist conspiracy theories and anti-Semitism.cccxvii In March 2004, a schoolteacher was
convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to three years of imprisonment and 300 leashes
after teaching students about tolerance. In November 2005, another teacher was
sentenced for a similar crime. In response to international criticism, both teachers were
subsequently pardoned by the King.cccxviii Moreover, private religious schools are not
permitted for non-Muslims or for Muslims adhering to unofficial interpretations of
Islam.
Furthermore, according to the Institute for Gulf Studies, “[t]he Saudi educational system
provides an ideological foundation for violence and future jihadists. The textbooks
currently used in Saudi schools, including those in the U.S. and Europe, preach hatred
toward other Christians, Jews, other religions and even most Muslims.” The Gulf
Institute also found that textbooks portrayed Christians and Jews as the enemy of Islam,
blames Jews for all the misfortune of Muslims and world and indirectly promote slavery
of non-believers.cccxix
Saudi officials have hosted summits on education, purportedly to reform the system.
For instance, the Sixth National Dialogue Forum, entitled “Education: Reality and
Promises” included a “road map” for educational reform, including textbook revision
and teaching curriculum. And in February 2007, the government launched the King
Abdullah Project for the Development of Public Education, a $2.4 billion, six-year
program to improve public education. Included in this transformation is a goal to revise
textbooks and make materials more inclusive. Moreover, in March 2007, the civil service
announced it would dismiss teachers who espoused extremist view in the classroom,
and in April 2007, King Abdullah announced that the Government would allocate more
freedom to private school development. These moves and statements have proved
largely cosmetic, however, as discrimination and hatred of others remains prevalent in
the education system. The U.S. State Department’s recent International Religious
Freedom Report claimed that: “Despite governmental claims that elementary and
secondary education textbooks had been revised, they still retained language that was
intolerant of other religious traditions, especially Jewish, Christian, and Shi'a
beliefs…”cccxx
Criminal Justice System

Due process rights are largely nonexistent in the kingdom, where people are arbitrarily
arrested and detained, tortured and routinely denied fair trials. In addition, no laws
exist protecting children from being tried as adults.cccxxi

Capital punishment is a significant aspect of the criminal justice system in Saudi Arabia,
where on average more than two people are executed every week. In 2008, through
the middle of November, 88 people were executed, including those convicted of non-
violent offenses. The process is arbitrary and gives judges extensive discretion to
impose the death penalty, which is typically carried out by public beheading.cccxxii
Approximately half of the executions every year involve poor migrant workers, many of
whom have no legal assistance and are unable to understand court proceedings in
Arabic. According to Amnesty International, “[s]ome migrant workers have even been
unaware that they had been sentenced to death until the very morning of their
execution.”cccxxiii

Constitution of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Constitution proclaims the kingdom to be, “a sovereign Arab Islamic state
with Islam as its religion” and, “God's Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet,” to be its
“constitution.” It further declares Arabic to be the national language of the nation.
Article 7 states that the government, “derives power from the Holy Koran,” while Article
8 declares the basis of the government to be, “in accordance with the Islamic Shari’ah.”
Furthermore, the Constitution states that education should instill, “the Islamic faith in
the younger generation” and that, “the state protects Islam.” Human rights are
protected by Article 26 but only in accordance with Shari’ah law.cccxxiv
Discrimination against minorities is entrenched in the Constitution, and consequently

provides a legal basis to persecute non-Muslims or those that do not adhere to the
government’s version of Islam. Although Article 26 purportedly protects human rights,
it is still subject to Shari’ah law, which makes it largely irrelevant for minorities and
provides little protection for freedom of religion.
Saudi Arabia consistently ranks at the bottom international human rights lists.
According to Freedom House’s latest rankings, Saudi Arabia received the lowest possible
rating in both political rights and civil liberties.cccxxv Similarly, in 2005 it ranked 72 out
111 on the Economist’s Worldwide Quality-of-Life Index.cccxxvi Furthermore,
Transparency International Corruption Perceptions index ranked it 70 out of 163, and
the United Nations Human Development Index ranked Saudi Arabia 76 out of 177.cccxxvii
Saudi Arabia’s laws, policies and treatment of minorities and women violate every
conceivable standard of human rights law. Not surprisingly, Saudi Arabia has not signed
or ratified the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights but its accession
to the UN’s International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial

Discrimination took place on September 23, 1997. Regardless of whether Saudi Arabia
is actually a party to specific UN Covenants, it should be held accountable under basic
international human rights norms.

The 2003 terrorist attacks in Riyadh triggered a government action against religious
extremism. The Government instituted a national dialogue initiative to introduce debate
regarding terrorism and extremism. In 2005, the King opened another forum to discuss
the growing pluralism of Saudi society: “We and the Other: A National Vision for Dealing
with World Cultures.” This was followed in December by a ministerial summit calling for
a ten-year-plan of the Muslim world that includes pluralism and moderation. The
government established several human rights bodies it controls to alleviate
international pressure. In March 2004, the government established the National Society
for Human Rights (NSHR) - the first organized human rights GO to operate within the
country. The group documented 5,000 cases between March 2004 and February 2006.
In response, the government created its Human Rights Commission (HRC) in September
2005. Two HRC board members appointed during this reporting period were Shi'a and
Sulaimani Ismaili Shi'a, respectively. The HRC reported that it received more than 8,000
human rights complaints, including infractions by mutawwa'in. The king mandated that
ministries respond to a HRC complaint within three weeks after it is filed.cccxxviii The HRC
reportedly advised the CPVPV leadership in May 2007 not to interfere with non-Saudi
nationals' private religious activities. The power and independence of the HRC,
however, is limited, and may not be effective in bringing out genuine reform.
More recently, the government reiterated its policy to combat extremism within the
country and abroad and committed to reviewing educational materials to remove
degrading references to other faith traditions. Further, it is monitoring sermons at
government sponsored mosques and states intent to dismiss imams whose preaching
promotes extremism. The Saudi school books, however, have not changed substantially
since September 2001.
The Saudi Government has appointed more Shi'a judges to the Ja'afari courts in the
Eastern Province and one Shi'a and one Sulaimani Ismaili Shi'a to the board of the
Government's Human Rights Commission (HRC). According to the U.S. State Department
Report on International Religious Freedom 2007, there were fewer reports of
confiscation of religious materials at the airports in Jeddah and Dhahran, and fewer
mutawwa'in raids of religious gatherings in the Western Hijaz region and in the Eastern
Province. Although the number of these incidents has gone down, non-Muslims
continue to be targeted. Additionally, larger public and private celebrations of Shi'a
holidays were permitted in the Eastern Province.
The establishment of the above mentioned procedural mechanisms to address human

rights in Saudi Arabia is welcome and the inclusion of both public and non-governmental

sectors is a step forward. However, the nature of the Saudi state and the religious
dynamic in the region that is funded, supported and encouraged by the government are
the real, serious impediments to establishing religious pluralism and the treatment of
non-Muslims as co-equals of Muslims.
The U.S. government must insist on greater accountability and a significantly improved
human rights record. Senior U.S. officials have begun such a dialogue with Saudi leaders
on key policies regarding religious practice and tolerance. The U.S. -Saudi Strategic
Dialogue includes among its working groups, the promotion of religious freedom.
However, more must be done. The political and religious dynamic in the region can only
change when Saudi Arabia is pressured to change its Islamist agenda. Saudi Arabia must
end its support for terrorism and fundamentalist Islam, promote basic civil and religious
rights for its citizens and guest workers and reform its education system in order to
remove inaccuracies and hatred about other religions. It should instead promote
tolerance and pluralism.

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Area: 65,610 sq km
Population: 21,128,772 (Note: Since the outbreak of hostilities between the

government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand
Tamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in
the West)
Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan
Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Religion: Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10%
(2001 census provisional data)
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka 77 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

Languages: Sinhala (official/national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%,
other 8%. English is used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the
population.
Location: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India cccxxix
Introduction
The human rights situation in Sri Lanka came to a crucial point in 2008, as the Sri Lankan
military slowly captured key Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) strongholds after a
devastating civil war that has raged in the country for over two decades. As we have
previously noted, the violent conflict between the Sinhala-majority government and
Tamil terrorists groups is not a religious conflict, but rather a deeply complex problem
involving a combination of historical, geographical, ethnic linguistic and religious factors.
For example, the LTTE, the primary Tamil militant organization, does not identify itself
as a religious-based organization.
The Sri Lankan civil war is an ongoing conflict that has been taking place since 1983
between the majority Sinhala Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. The LTTE is fighting
for an independent state (Tamil Eelam) in the North and East regions of the island. A
cease-fire was declared by both parties in December 2001. Norwegian-brokered peace
talks led to a ceasefire agreement between the government and Tamil rebels in late
2002, but both the government and Tamil rebels violated the truce. Renewed hostilities
broke out again in late 2005 with increasing intensity. Both sides claimed that they
were willing to abide by the ceasefire agreement, eventually leading to a settlement.
Throughout the years, both parties have committed extrajudicial killings, abductions,
participated in communal violence and intentionally attacked civilians.cccxxx
The Sri Lankan government ended its truce with the LTTE on January 2, 2008, causing
great concern among international arbiters. The civil war has taken a heavy toll on this
island nation, killing nearly 5,000 people since early 2006 and a total of 70,000 deaths
since the war erupted in 1983. Moreover, the fighting has left hundreds of thousands of
civilians, primarily Tamils, displaced from their homes, while more than 100,000 were
forced to flee in March 2007 alone.cccxxxi On November 16, 2008, news agencies across
the world reported that the Sri Lankan military had captured a major LTTE defense line
in northern Sri Lanka, thereby crippling their resources and gaining control over the LTTE
across the western coast. Subsequent reports indicate that the Sri Lankan military has
secured the majority of rebel held territory, causing disastrous consequences for
civilians caught in the crossfire.

History/Background
The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka in the sixth century BCE, probably from Northern
India. Buddhism was introduced around mid-third century BCE and a great civilization
developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (from circa 200 BCE to circa 1000 CE) and
Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200 CE). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty
seized power in the north and established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the
Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was
ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802 and was united under
British rule by 1815.
As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972.
Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists in northern Sri Lanka
erupted into war in 1983. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic conflict that
continues to be unresolved. After two decades of fighting, the government and LTTE
formalized a cease-fire in February 2002, with Norway brokering peace negotiations.
Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, and now the Sri
Lanka government has formally withdrawn from the cease-fire.
The original inhabitants of the island were believed to be the aboriginal Veddahs. The
Sinhalese believe they are descendants of King Vijaya who came from Eastern India with
a small army and conquered the island and settled there around the sixthth century BCE.
Between 237 BCE to 1070 CE, Sri Lankan Buddhists and various Indian kings, mainly
Tamils, fought for control of the nation, with Indian kings and Hinduism dominating the
period. King Vijayabahu drove the Cholas, a South Indian Hindu dynasty, out of Sri
Lanka and re-established the pre-eminence of Buddhism on the island. Subsequently, it
became mandatory for the Sinhalese king to be a Buddhist. Later the country was
divided and ruled by separate kings until the Europeans conquered the island.cccxxxii
The Portuguese arrived in 1505 and controlled most of the island by 1595. In 1658, the
Dutch, assisted by the king of Kandy, forced Portugal out. The British expelled the Dutch
in 1796 and conquered the entire island in 1815 after defeating the king of Kandy. The
country was named as Ceylon with Colombo as the capital.
The Europeans established tea, coffee, sugar, cinnamon, rubber and indigo plantations
on the island and the British brought nearly one million Tamil laborers from India to
work in the tea plantations.
In the 1900s the Ceylonese started a struggle for independence from the ruling British.
On February 4, 1948 the country won its independence. In 1970, the name was
changed to Sri Lanka and it became a republic in 1972.

Sinhala-Tamil Divide
The island's population is approximately 75% Sinhalese and 7-8% Tamils. The south,
west and central regions of the island are primarily inhabited by the Sinhalese, while the
Tamils reside in the north and the east and on the plantations in the central hills. The
Tamil northeast covers an area of about 7,500 square miles. The Sinhalese majority are
Buddhist, while most Tamils are Hindus, with Christian and Muslim minorities.
By 1948, there were more English-language schools in the Tamil-dominated Jaffna city
than in the rest of the island. A disproportionate number of Tamils occupied positions
of prominence in post-independence Sri Lanka, such as doctors and lawyers in the civil
service. This led to Sinhalese resentment and a perception that the British gave
preferential treatment to the Tamils.cccxxxiii
Sinhala Buddhist revivalism and nationalism had its origin in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. Even before Sri Lanka became independent, Buddhist activists and
ideologues -- monks and laypersons, educators and politicians -- accused the British of
“betraying” Buddhism and spoke of a need to restore Buddhism to its rightful place in
the life and governance of the country.cccxxxiv Sinhala Buddhist revivalism and
nationalism was supported by and served the interests of a rising Sinhala Buddhist
middle class and businessmen, some of whom were implicated in the anti-Muslim riots
of 1915, which were directed against Muslim shopkeepers and businessmen.cccxxxv
The Jaffna Association (JA) was the only political organization of Jaffna Tamils. They
wanted self-determination for Tamils in the North and East of the island. The JA was
involved directly in much of Jaffna’s social and economic development, and Tamil
political aspirations. In 1915 the British agreed to nominate a JA leader as the Tamil
member of the Legislative Council. In 1919 the Ceylon National Congress (CNC) was
formed for obtaining greater autonomy for the people.
Initially, the JA wanted to negotiate separately with the British to protect minority
rights. However, Sir P. Arunachalam, a good friend of JA leaders, persuaded Tamils to
forge a united front with the Sinhalese to achieve more authority for the entire island.
The Sinhalese assured the Tamils of an agreed number of conditions, including Tamil
Eelam, but refused to keep their promises. This led to a feeling of disillusionment and
betrayal among the Tamil Leadership and in 1921, the Tamils formed the Tamil
Mahajana Sabham (TMS).
Ceylon won its independence from the British in 1948.cccxxxvi When the British departed,
power was transferred to the Sinhala majority, although Tamil leaders were in the
forefront of the freedom movement. Following independence, the government of D. S.
Senanayake passed legislation in 1949, stripping the citizenship of a sizable number of
Tamil descendants of plantation laborers from India, leaving them stateless. This
reduced the Tamil voting power in parliament from 33% to 20%. Furthermore, in 1962

and again in 1965, several hundred thousands of Tamils who worked in the estates were
expelled by the Sri Lankan government. Many of these Tamils were not granted full
citizenship rights until 2003.cccxxxvii
Successive governments pursued resettlement policies, bringing Sinhalese from the

south and settling them into Tamil areas in the north and east. This became a further
source of tension between Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities. The Trincomalee
district was colonized by the Sinhalese with the help of the government in 1948, and
again in the 1950s and 1960s. The Sinhalese population grew from 4.4% in 1946 to
29.1% in 1981. There was an official plan in the mid-1980s to settle 30,000 Sinhalese in
the Northern Province, giving each settler land and funds to build a house. Each
community was armed with rifles and machine guns for protection. And in the 1990s,
Tamils were driven out from Weli Oya or Manal Aru in the Northern Province, while the
Sinhalese settled there under the protection the Special Task Force.cccxxxviii
The Sinhala majority government continued to pursue discriminatory policies, including

the Sinhala Only Act of 1956, which replaced English as the official language with Sinhala
and excluded Tamil. As a result, countless Tamils serving in government employment,
who were well versed in English but not in Sinhalese, became unemployed. In practice,
the business of government continues to be carried out in English, though the Sinhalese
version is preferred.cccxxxix
While the Sinhala Only Act passed in 1956, Prime Minister Bandaranaike worked with
the Tamil Federal Party Chief Chelvanayakam to make Tamil the administrative language
in the Tamil-speaking north and east regions through the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam
Pact of 1957. However, Bandaranaike reneged under pressure from Sinhalese
nationalists. The Federal Party politicians launched a peaceful protest against this
decision and planned to hold a convention in Vavniya. To disrupt the convention, on
May 22, 1958, Sinhalese mobs attacked the convention participants traveling by trains.
In response to the attacks by Sinhalese extremists, Tamils rioted in the east and killed 56
Sinhalese fishermen. Moreover, in Jaffna the Buddhist Naga Vihara temple was
destroyed and some Sinhalese owned businesses were burned. Overall, the 1958 riots
led to between 150 and 200 Tamil deaths, with thousands more assaulted. The violence
also resulted in the looting of Tamil owned properties and the displacement of more
than 25,000 Tamil refugees, who were relocated to the north.cccxl
In 1970, the government began to suppress Tamil culture by banning the importation of
Tamil language films, books, magazines and journals from India. Additionally, Tamil
political organizations, such as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) and the Tamil
Youth League (TYL) were banned. Foreign exchange programs for Tamil students going
to Indian universities were stopped and external degree programs, including those of
London University, were abolished.cccxli The official name of the country was also

changed from Ceylon to Sri Lanka, which had Sinhalese origins. All of these steps
alienated large segments of the Tamil population.
The idea of a separate nation -- Tamil Eelam – emerged in 1972 with the formation of
the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). TULF, however, was prohibited from
contesting parliamentary elections.
Tamils continued to be targeted by Sinhalese extremists, and between May 31 and June
2, 1981, a Sinhalese mob went on a rampage, burning the market area of Jaffna, the
office of a Tamil newspaper, the home of the Member of Parliament for Jaffna, the
Jaffna Public Library and killing four people. The destruction of the Jaffna Public Library
was the incident that appeared to cause the most distress to the people of Jaffna, as it
was South Asia's largest library at the time. The 95,000 volumes in the Public Library
destroyed by the fire included numerous culturally important and irreplaceable
manuscripts. Later, in 1991 the then president of Sri Lanka publicly admitted that his
party members, Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake, were directly involved
in the burning of the library.cccxlii
The next significant event was the “Black July” riots, which began after 25 years of
negotiations for autonomy for Tamil speaking areas under a federal framework failed.
Started on July 23, 1983, the riots led to the killing of between 1,000 and 3,000 Tamils.
More than 18,000 homes and numerous commercial establishments were destroyed
and hundreds of thousands of Tamils fled the country to India, Europe, Australia and
Canada. The widespread violence led thousands of Tamil youths to join various Tamil
militant groups, including the LTTE.
Many young Tamils favored using violent means to achieve their ends and, in 1972, the
Tamil New Tigers (TNT) was founded, led by Velupillai Prabhakaran. The TNT was
responsible for several high profile assassinations, including Alfred Duraiappah, the
Mayor of Jaffna in 1975 and some police officials. They committed bank robberies to
fund their activities. In 1976, TNT joined the Subramaniam group to form the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers, later joined by Anton
Balasingham. On July 23, 1983, LTTE ambushed and killed 13 government soldiers in
Jaffna. On July 25, the 13 soldiers were to be buried in Colombo. Sinhalese civilians
who had gathered at the cemetery started killing Tamils and looting and burning
property. The violence directed against Tamils in Colombo, soon spread throughout the
country. Initially, 20,000 Tamils in Colombo became displaced and the figure gradually
rose to 50,000.cccxliii
Over the next 25 years, there would be many more casualties, ceasefires, undermined
ceasefires, a failed peacekeeping mission during the Rajiv Gandhi-led Government of
India and the introduction of suicide bombings as a lethal weapon for the first time in
modern history. A suicide mission, allegedly by an LTTE sympathizer took the life of

Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985. The violence escalated in 2008 with a
military offensive by the Sri Lankan military capturing large areas of rebel held territory.

According to a report by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) released on the
60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the situation in Sri Lanka
is worse than it was 60 years ago.cccxliv In 2008, Sri Lanka witnessed an escalating civil
war that has torn the country apart. In addition to the already dismal state of human
rights in Sri Lanka, the war has led to a rapid rise in death and destruction for Hindus
across the country.
Religious Freedom
Religious freedom in Sri Lanka has long been an issue of contention. Past statistics have
shown that by 1992, over 1700 Hindu temples had been destroyed.cccxlv Since that time,
many more have met the same fate. In the past year, many examples of violence against
Hindus and temples have arisen within the country. On September 5, 2008, a Buddhist
monk desecrated a Hindu temple in Colombo and smashed several sacred deities.cccxlvi
On November 27, 2008, members of the LTTE killed the head priest of a Hindu temple in
Eastern Sri Lanka.cccxlvii
Towards the end of 2008, there have been several reports that the Sri Lankan military
was bombing civilian areas, including temples and churches, where Hindus and
Christians were taking refuge. For instance, there have been indications that artillery
shells exploded inside the Athisaya Vinaayakar temple in Visuvamadu. The attacks
prompted Jaffna Bishop Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayaga to write to Sri Lanka’s
President and military leaders to refrain from attacking civilian areas.cccxlviii These are
but some examples of the religious persecution that Hindus face in the nation.
General Violence
In 2008, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that the human rights situation in Sri
Lanka has deteriorated.cccxlix In the first six weeks of 2008, 180 civilians had died during
fighting between government forces and rebel groups. And according to HRW, at least
60 people were killed or kidnapped just in September and October alone.cccl Of those
kidnapped many were children who were then sent to fight among the ranks of groups
such as the LTTE.
The recruitment of young child soldiers, some as young as 12, is a common practice
employed by government forces, pro-government militias and Tamil rebel groups.
Often, the children, both girls and boys, are abducted from their parents and forced into
fighting.cccli A recent report by UNICEF detailed 1,430 outstanding cases of child

recruitment by the LTTE, with at least 196 children under the age of 18 still fighting with
the Tamil group. During a two-week period in January 2007, 37 under age children were
abducted by the LTTE in the areas of Arippu, Karanadi and Madukkarai.ccclii Besides the
Tamil Tigers, pro-government militias also systematically abduct and recruit children as
soldiers. These militias are allowed to operate freely in areas controlled by government
forces and the Sri Lankan army often actively assists them in kidnapping young boys.cccliii
On October 3, 2008, President George W. Bush signed a law that states that members of
military forces and armed groups who recruit child soldiers may be arrested and
prosecuted. The Child Soldiers Accountability Act makes it a federal crime to recruit any
person under the age of 15 and allows the government to take action against violators
who are on U.S. soil, even if the violations occurred outside of the United States.cccliv In
late 2008, the Sri Lankan government, United Nations Children’s Education Fund and
Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP), a splinter group that defected from the LTTE,
entered into an agreement that will force the TMVP to cease recruiting child soldiers.
The agreement set forth a timetable that will enable the release of all children who are
currently training as soldiers with the TMVP.ccclv According to the BBC, the TMVP had
133 identifiable children among its forces as of October 2008.ccclvi
In addition to recruitment of child soldiers, forced abductions and disappearances at the
hands of security forces and pro-government militias are one of the major human rights
abuses prevalent in Sri Lanka. According to international law, “an enforced
disappearance occurs when state authorities detain a person and then refuse to
acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or the person’s whereabouts, placing the person
outside the protection of the law.”ccclvii Between 1988 and 1990 alone, there were
reportedly more than 27,200 cases of disappearances. Moreover, 16,305 cases of past
abductions are still being investigated by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
(HRCSL).ccclviii The vast majority of victims are young Tamil men suspected of having ties
to the Tamil Tigers.ccclix
Other incidents of general violence in Sri Lanka also point to a diminishing importance
on human rights. In the beginning of 2009, Lasantha Wickramatunga, a prominent
newspaper editor, was shot dead by unidentified assailants. Mr. Wickramatunga was a
well known critic of the government’s war with the Tamil Tigers and had received
numerous death threats and been detained several times.ccclx On December 1, 2008, a
Sri Lankan student was fatally assaulted by gangsters who were targeting Indians in the
country.ccclxi On January 1, 2008, a former Sri Lanka Cabinet Minister was assassinated
while paying homage at a Hindu shrine in Kotahena.ccclxii And towards the end of 2007, a
Tamil woman was abducted and raped by military men near her home in
Vadamaraadchi. ccclxiii These are but a few examples of the ongoing violence against
Hindus in Sri Lanka that have gone unchecked by the government.
Social Persecution
Due to the ongoing civil war, one of the bloodiest in the history of the country,
thousands of people have been killed or displaced.ccclxiv According to Amnesty

International, over 300,000 people have been displaced from the northern part of the
country.ccclxv The situation has brought aid workers from across the world into Sri Lanka.
However, in September 2008, the Sri Lankan government ordered aid workers to leave
the country. Since then, Sri Lanka has carried the burden of caring for the displaced
citizens but has not been able to provide adequate care for them.ccclxvi
The crisis exploded in 2008, when large numbers of Tamil civilians became displaced
from their homes. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), one of the only
relief agencies allowed to operate in rebel-held territory, expressed its grave concerns
over the growing humanitarian catastrophe. The ICRC pointed to large numbers of
displaced civilians being forced to seek refuge in small areas with poor living conditions
and little physical safety from the ongoing violence.ccclxvii
The Sinhalese dominated government has for years pursued discriminatory policies
targeting its Tamil minorities. For instance, since 2003, the government has required all
Tamil civilians living in Colombo or other parts of the western province to register with
the police.ccclxviii Moreover, Tamil civilians live in constant fear of being abducted or
arrested and are routinely detained on suspicion of being insurgents.ccclxix
A report by Human Rights Watch also found that: “[t]he Sri Lankan government has
established a policy of detaining civilians fleeing LTTE-controlled areas in search of
safety. Most of the families and individuals stopped while crossing into government-
controlled areas have been detained indefinitely in military-run camps. Virtually all
Vanni [northern LTTE stronghold] residents are ethnic Tamils who have relatives—by
choice or compulsion—in the LTTE.”ccclxx
In recent years, the government of Sri Lanka has also strengthened its grip on people
who speak out against injustices carried out in the country. On March 7, 2008,
government officials arrested J S Tissainayagam, a journalist who criticized the current
regime.ccclxxi Human Rights Watch, along with governments and organizations around
the world, have criticized the Sri Lankan leadership for the arrest. HRW has also cited
the arrest of publisher N. Jasiharan and his wife, who were taken into custody in March.
According to HRW, none of these prisoners have been given access to basic rights such
as having an attorney present.ccclxxii

Constitution of Sri Lanka
The Constitution of Sri Lankaccclxxiii declares it to be a “democratic socialist republic”

which provides Buddhism “the foremost place” but still assures, “all religions the rights
granted by Articles 10 and 14 (1)(e).” Article 10 provides, “freedom of thought,

conscience and religion,” to every individual and Article 14 (1)(e) provides every citizen
the freedom, “to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice or
teaching.” Additionally, Article 14 entitles citizens to freedom of speech, peaceful
assembly and association, as well as the freedom, “to enjoy and promote his own
culture and to use his own language.” The Constitution further guarantees equality
before the law and bars discrimination based on race, religion, caste or language.
Sri Lanka has not upheld its responsibilities under human rights law, although it is a
party to the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN’s
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The
government’s systematic persecution of its Tamil and Hindu minority specifically
violates Article 18 of Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects the
basic, “right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,” and Articles 26 and 27,
where religious minorities are guaranteed equality before the law and freedom of
religion without discrimination.
Furthermore, the conduct of the government and rebel groups during the ongoing civil
war, where large numbers of civilians, primarily Tamils/Hindus, have been killed or
displaced, violate all basic standards of human rights law.

It is important to reiterate that the conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the
LTTE is not a religious dispute, but rather a highly complex and multi-dimensional issue,
requiring international intervention and mediation to resolve.
Both the government and the LTTE are responsible for widespread human rights abuses,
and have done little to alleviate the plight of ordinary civilians. Consequently, HAF calls
on the Sri Lankan government to make serious efforts to protect the rights of its
minorities, particularly Hindu Tamils, who face violence, forced displacement,
discrimination and religious persecution. Furthermore, it is incumbent upon the
government and the armed forces to refrain from targeting innocent civilians and allow
aid workers to enter conflict zones. Similarly, the LTTE must end its use of violence and
avoid placing civilians in harms way.
Ultimately, some form of autonomously governed regional states within a larger federal
framework may be part of a solution that benefits all parties to the conflict.

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Area: 5,128 sq km
Religions: Roman Catholic 26%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Baptist 7.2%, Pentecostal
6.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4%, other Christian 5.8%, other 10.8%,
unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9% (2000 census). Almost all Hindus are of Indian descent.
Ethnic groups: Indian (South Asian) 40%, African 37.5%, mixed 20.5%, other 1.2%,
unspecified 0.8% (2000 census)
Languages: English (official), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), French, Spanish,

Chinese
Location: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,
northeast of Venezuela.ccclxxiv
Introduction
Trinidad and Tobago is a multiethnic and multi-religious society, where religious
tolerance is instilled very early in life. Legally, the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago
guarantees the right to equality of treatment and freedom of religious belief and
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago 87 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

observance. Furthermore, the government limits the number of foreign missionaries
allowed in the country to 30 per denomination at any given time. In response to
wariness of a repeated colonial experience, missionaries must meet strict entry
standards and cannot remain in the country for more than three years per visit. There
are no reports of forced religious conversion. The Government supports the activities of
the Inter-Religious Organization (IRO), an interfaith coordinating committee for public
outreach, governmental and media relations and policy implementation. It also provides
the prayer leader for several official events, such as the opening of Parliament and the
annual court term.
Ministers, Members of Parliament and public figures represent every religious group
and denomination and the broad spectrum of religious beliefs in the country. Religious
groups possess the same rights and obligations as most legal entities, can own land and
hire employees.
The Government subsidizes both public and religiously affiliated schools. It permits
religious instruction in public schools, setting aside a time each week when any religious
organization with an adherent in the school can provide an instructor. Attendance at
these classes is voluntary and the religious groups represented are diverse. Parents may
enroll their children in private schools for religious reasons. As a result, there are
thriving Hindu, Muslim and Christian schools for K-12. The Government established
public holidays for every religious group with a large following. The Government also
grants financial and technical assistance to various organizations to support religious
festivals and celebrations, including Indian Arrival Day.
In this report, it is essential to differentiate between religious and racial discrimination.

Discrimination towards Indians and racial tension between Hindus and Afro-Carribean is
evident. However, it is difficult to distinguish specific religious persecution given that
90% of Indians are Hindu. To honor accuracy in documentation, this report attempts to
resist conflation.
Despite legal protections and the value of religious pluralism, Hindus (as Indians) in
Trinidad and Tobago experience discrimination in terms of political representation,
resource distribution and employment opportunities. Social persecution and a lack of
religious freedom are also pressing issues faced by Hindus. And lastly, Hindus have been
disproportionately targeted for physical violence and harassment.ccclxxv
Dr. Eric Williams, the country’s first Prime Minister referred to Indians as the
“recalcitrant minority.” The racial and religious animosity between black (Christian and
Muslim) and brown (Hindu, Indian) has been exacerbated over the years and is manifest
in the media and the government sector.
Prominent Hindu leader and Secretary General of the Hindu Maha Sabha, Sat Maharaj,
exclaimed in 2006 that: “This year marks 50 years since Trinidad and Tobago attained

the right to internal self-government (1956-1986). Out of this 50-year period an Indian-
based political party held power for six years. The People’s National Movement (PNM)
ruled for 30 consecutive years without appointing a single Hindu as a government
minister. The cry of rural neglect, alienation, marginalization and discrimination affected
the political psychology of Indians as they lost hope of ever winning a general election.”
History/Backgroundccclxxvi
The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean.
The country consists of two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago and 21 smaller islands.
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the main islands; Tobago is much smaller,
comprising about 6% of the total area and 4% of the population.
Originally settled by Amerindians of South American origin at least 7,000 years ago,
Trinidad and Tobago was occupied by Arawakan-speaking and Cariban-speaking peoples
at the time of European contact in 1498. A history of slavery and indentureship has left
the country with a population of African, Indian, mixed-race, European, Middle Eastern
and Chinese descent. All these groups have left a significant impact on the country’s
national culture.
Britain consolidated its hold on both islands during the Napoleonic Wars and they were
combined into the colony of Trinidad and Tobago in 1899. As a result of these colonial
struggles, Amerindian, Spanish, French and English place names are all common in the
country. African slaves and Chinese, Portuguese, Indian and free African indentured
laborers arrived to supply labor in the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Emigration from Barbados and Lesser Antilles, Venezuela, Syria and Lebanon also
affected the ethnic make-up of the country.
Trinidad and Tobago is a democratic republic. The Head of State of Trinidad and Tobago
is the President and the Head of Government is the Prime Minister. The President is
elected by an Electoral College consisting of the full membership of both houses of
Parliament. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President. Trinidad and Tobago
elected for independence in 1962. In 1976 the country severed its links with the British
monarchy and became a republic within the Commonwealth.
Political parties are generally divided along ethnic lines, with the People’s National
Movement (PNM) supported primarily by Africans and the United National Congress
(UNC) drawing its constituency largely from Indians. In the recent past, there have been
three elections in three years contested by the two main ethnic-based parties, UNC and
the PNM. Indians largely support the UNC led by Basdeo Panday, while Africans mainly
support the PNM headed by Patrick Manning. The party lines are not completely
polarized along racial lines. In most recent elections, the PNM fielded Indian candidates
for election. The main financial backer of the UNC is an Afro-Trinidadian.

In 2002, the PNM won with 51% of the vote. This allowed Manning to replace Panday as
Trinidadian Prime Minister. Recent elections in November 2007 were also won by the
PNM under Manning.

Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago face a multitude of human rights issues, including
physical attacks, temple desecration, economic/political discrimination and the
inequitable distribution of government funds.
Religious Freedom
Temples/Festivals
There are over 300 Hindu temples in Trinidad and Tobago. There have been recent
incidents of vandalism and desecration of Hindu temples. The following includes recent
examples of discrimination towards Hindu festivals, religious practices and places of
worship.
Although there are several Hindu temples in Trinidad, Hindu temples were non-existent
on the small island of Tobago. Until recently, the Tobago House of Assembly refused to
allow the Maha Sabha to construct a mandir (temple) on land bought on the island.
Churches were funded and the Assembly promoted a gospel concert on the island while
refusing to fund a kirtan (Hindu religious concert).ccclxxvii Letters to Editors complaining
about the overt discrimination against Hindus had little impact on the racist and bigoted
assemblymen.ccclxxviii After a five-year struggle, the first Hindu mandir in Tobago finally
began construction in the summer of 2007, with a $250,000 grant from the National
Commission for Self Help Limited (NCSH).ccclxxix
In August 2008, the Kolahal Shiva Temple, Chaguanas, in Central Trinidad, was
vandalized by Muslim extremists, who destroyed several murtis, or the representations
of Hindu deities, including those of Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and Goddess Durga. The
incident caused widespread anger amongst the local Hindu community but was seen as
an attempt to disrupt the communal harmony between Hindus and Muslims in the
country.ccclxxx
The attack bore resemblance to an attack the previous year at the landmark Siewdass
Sadhu Shiva Mandir, also known as the Temple-in-the-Sea for its dramatic location just
off the coast. The Hindu temple is internationally renowned and recognized as the
spiritual center for the Hindus that comprise nearly a quarter of the
island's population. The temple administrators reported that the vandals had toppled
and smashed murtis — Lord Ganesha, Lord Krishna, Goddess Durga and Lord Hanuman
– using rocks to smash the glass window-panes of the temple. They had also attempted

to burn down the structure by setting fire next to the southern wall inside the
temple.ccclxxxi
Hindus have also faced challenges with religious festivals, including yearly Diwali
celebrations and Ramleela (religious performance in honor of revered Lord Rama). The
largest Diwali celebrations are held each year at the Diwali Nagar, Chaguanas, in
Trinidad. This event has grown from a modest affair to an international fixture in the
Hindu calendar, attracting Hindus from around the world. Each night, over a 14-day
period, thousands of Hindus and non-Hindus congregate at this famous location to
enjoy and participate in pujas (sacred rituals), concerts, art, craft and social activities. In
2006 and in 2007, however, the police refused to provide additional security unless they
were paid. During the first few nights when the police stayed away, several vehicles
were stolen and vandalized. It was only after protests by Hindus that security was
increased.
In addition, this major Hindu event was granted a meager $TT 200,000 (approximately
U.S. $33,000) by the Government, compared to significantly larger funds given to
Christian celebrations. Similarly, Ramleela celebrations have been discriminated against
in allocation of funds, in contrast to the other religious groups.
Furthermore, during the past few years, Ramleela festivities have been the targets of
violence. For example, in 2005, vandals desecrated religious items and destroyed tents,
props and fences used in Ramleela celebrations, as well as the sacred jhandi (flag to
mark the completion of puja or worship ceremony) at McBean Village, Couva.
Consequently, many Hindus were afraid of attending the celebrations at McBean
because of the attacks.ccclxxxii
In several parts of country, Hindus have been prevented from even holding Diwali and
Ramleela celebrations. Recently, the head of the Sugarcane Feeds Centre refused
permission for workers to hold their annual Diwali celebrations. And in another
instance, Hindu Police officers were prohibited from celebrating Diwali at their
workplaces in South Trinidad.
General Violence
Violence directed against Indians and Hindus is also not uncommon. Indians and Hindus
are verbally and physically assaulted by mobs of non-Indians from neighboring villages
and from the northern urban areas of Trinidad where the population is predominantly
African. For example, the Hindus of Felicity were recently attacked by Afro-Trinidadians
from the adjacent village of Boot Hill. As a result, Hindu residents of Felicity were
unable to commute to work and schools after Afro-Trinidadians from Boot Hill blocked
the main road with piles of burning debris and broken bottles.ccclxxxiii

Social Persecution
Societal discrimination against Hindus is also prevalent in several areas, including the
portrayal of Hindus in the media. Hindus fear a systematized attempt to degrade
Hindus in the media and exclude them from areas of influence.ccclxxxiv For instance,
photographs in tourism brochures depict Trinidad and Tobago as a nation whose
population is predominantly of African descent. Indians are rarely represented in
advertisements in radio, television or the print media.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which annually publishes a list of employees for service
awards, routinely discriminates against Hindu and Indian citizens. Moreover, the
process itself for award granting is prejudiced. The highest award for public service in
Trinidad is entitled the “Trinity Cross.” In a June 2006 comment, Attorney Anand
Ramlogan said, “The Trinity Cross was perceived as a manifestation or symptom of what
was, in substance if not form, a Christian state that tolerated non-Christians. It was a
powerful psychological reminder of the fact that we were merely ‘tolerated.’ The
objection was not purely religious; it had a political and psychological dimension. It had
to do with the sense of belonging and being able to identify with the newly adopted
motherland far away from India.”
The Maha Saba, a Hindu organization, along with a Muslim group, instituted legal action
against the State regarding the use of the title “Trinity Cross.” In reference to the case,
Justice Peter Jamadar, stated: “This general prohibition against non-discrimination thus
prohibits laws that differentiate between people on the basis of their inherent personal
characteristics and attributes. Such discrimination undermines the dignity of persons,
severely fractures peace and erodes freedom. Courts will not readily allow laws to
stand, which have the effect of discriminating on the basis of the stated personal
characteristics.”ccclxxxv Unfortunately, no action has yet been taken on the removal of
the title “Trinity Cross.”
Institutional discrimination against Hindus and Indians in Trinidad and Tobago is

rampant and includes economic/political discrimination, inequitable distribution of
government funds and prejudice in the education system.
There have been several recent cases of Hindus and Indians being fired or denied well-
deserved promotions in government sector jobs. For instance, National Lotteries
Control Board (NLCB) marketing manager Devant Maharaj, successfully took the
Statutory Authorities Service Commission (SASC) along with the Prime Minister to court
after he was bypassed for a promotion to the NLCB deputy director.ccclxxxvi

Hindus have also faced discrimination in their attempts to obtain a broadcast license for
a Hindu radio station. The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha of Trinidad and Tobago (SDMS)
was finally granted the license to broadcast as Radio Jaagriti on 102.7FM, after a seven-
year long legal battle. SDMS initiated their application in 1999, which languished for
seven years, while the government awarded another group a radio frequency for its
station. On July 4, 2006, SDMS was victorious in its appeal to the Privy Council based
on the government’s consistent refusal to award the organization a radio license. In a
landmark 19-page judgment, Lord Justice Mance said “in light of the exceptional
circumstances” of the discrimination, the Privy Council would order Trinidad and Tobago
Attorney General John Jeremie to do all that is necessary to ensure that a license is
issued forthwith to the Hindu organization. The State was also ordered to pay SDMS's
legal costs in all the courts.ccclxxxvii
Despite compromising approximately 40% of the population, Indians are severely
underrepresented in government sectors jobs, including the Protective Services, the
Civil Service, State Companies, Statutory Boards and Commission, the High Commissions
and Diplomatic Missions, the Central Bank and Board and executive membership at
decision-making levels of the State. This began to slowly change following 2002.
One report found that Indians were, “heavily under-represented, except in areas where
merit and technical criteria must prevail, as in the judicial and professional sectors,
where Indians were more than adequately represented.” For instance, prior data from
the Service Commissions Department indicated that there are only 18 Indians serving as
department heads in the nation, compared to 87 non-Indians and there are no Indians
on the executive of the police service or army.ccclxxxviii
According to one observer, the “Indo-Trinidadian community is witnessing a ‘shock and

awe’ programme with this state-sanctioned policy that directs significant state
resources to one ethnic group at the exclusion of other groups. The lowering of
qualifications for state employment, house padding, the establishment of the University
of Trinidad and Tobago, the elevation of criminal elements to community leaders… are
all examples of the programme conceived to push the Indian out of the space that is
shared in Trinidad and Tobago…”ccclxxxix
Inequitable Distribution of Government Funds

The Trinidad and Tobago government frequently discriminates against particular ethnic
and religious groups in the distribution of public funds. In a recent Joint Select
Committee of Parliament meeting, chaired by Independent Senator Parvatee
Anmolsingh-Mahabir, the National Social Development Programme (NSDP), a State
agency, was exposed for its blatant discrimination against Hindus, Muslims, Catholics
and Anglicans, while favoring predominantly Afro-Trinidadian Christian denominations.
The Indo-Trinbago Equality Council (ITEC) also alleged discrimination in the distribution

of land to Hindu religious groups. According to the Indo-Trinbago Equality Council
(ITEC), the Tobago House of Assembly allocated land to the Baptist Church in order to
build a place of worship and gave $9 million to fund the Gospel Fest, while the Hindu
community in Tobago continues to be marginalized.cccxc
In addition, millions of taxpayers’ dollars have been spent on St Peter’s Baptist Church,
the Jesus Elam Ministries, Febeau Open Bible, Revival Time Assembly, Gospelfest and
other small politically affiliated churches, while Hindu celebrations, such as Ramleela,
have been denied adequate funding.cccxci
Indo-Trinidadians believe that there is an ethnic agenda in the Government’s

distribution of the largesse of the State, including the allocation of public housing under
the National Housing Authority (Home Development Corporation) and the disbursement
of compensation following natural disasters, disproportionately benefiting Afro-
Trinidadians. For example, $36 million dollars was provided to flood victims from Port
City and Toco, who received immediate help, while nothing was provided for South or
Central farmers – almost 100% Hindus -- who lost millions in flood damage.cccxcii
Educational Discrimination
Discrimination against Hindus is also present in the educational system. Although
Hinduism is the second largest religion in Trinidad and Tobago, there are no sixth-form
Hindu secondary schools to prepare students for university, while there are eighteen
Christian and two Muslim sixth-form facilities. Moreover, “…. Certain denominational
schools are forcing all students to study the religion of the school, without introducing
the appropriate religious instruction for students of other religions…. The Ministry of
Education needs to correct these discriminatory practices, especially in the
denominational school,” said David Singh, a community leader, in a letter to the
Trinidad Guardian Newspaper.”cccxciii
In many primary and secondary schools and colleges, Hindu children are prevented from
practicing their religion and debarred from wearing Hindu clothing, rakshas (protective
amulet) and other symbols. For instance, in March 2008, Hindu high school students
were prevented from wearing the raksha, “a Hindu religious symbol consisting of a
colored string worn on the wrist during the performance of sacred rituals and removed
within seven days after the prayers” on their wrists, and were forced to remove them by
school security guards. The Ministry of Education later apologized to the students.cccxciv
And in October 2006, an Anglican School in Fyzabad, South Trinidad withdrew

permission previously granted to students for celebrating Diwali. Students were also
banned from wearing rakhshas, despite Diwali being a national holiday.cccxcv

Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad is a democratic state that “acknowledges[s] the supremacy of God [and] faith in
fundamental human rights and freedoms.” Chapter 1 of the Constitution recognizes an
individual’s right to “equality before the law” and freedom of religion, thought and
expression. It also guarantees the “freedom of the press” although it does not expand
upon what this freedom entails. Furthermore, the Constitution states that Parliament
may not, “deprive a person of the right to a fair hearing,” nor deprive a person of the
right, “to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.”cccxcvi Despite
these protections, Hindus continue to experience attacks on their places of worship,
government sanctioned discrimination, and societal abuse.
Violations of International Human Rights Law
Trinidad and Tobago signed the UN’s International Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Racial Discrimination on June 7, 1967 and ratified it on October 4, 1973. Its
accession to the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights took place on
December 21, 1978. The Trinidadian government has repeatedly violated these UN
Covenants, however, by failing to protect its Hindu and Indian citizens and
discriminating against them on ethnic and religious grounds.

Although Trinidad’s Constitution provides for “equality before the law” and freedom of
religion, Indians and Hindus face systematic discrimination, harassment/abuse and
religious persecution. Pressure from the international community should be brought to
bear upon the government to enforce civil and criminal laws and to protect the
Indian/Hindu minority, in addition to all citizens.
Moreover, Trinidadian leaders should discourage racial and religious stereotypes and
hate speech; recognize Hindus and Indians as equal partners in the rule and governance
of the nation; and distance themselves from Christian fundamentalists promoting
Christianization of the government and hatred against Hindus and Hinduism.

Appendix A
International Acts, Conventions, Covenants and Declarations
Bangladesh Enemy Property Act/Vested Property Act

In 1965, after the Indo-Pakistan War, the then Pakistan Government introduced the
Enemy Property (Custody and Registration) Order II of 1965. The Defence of Pakistan
Rules identified the minority Hindus as enemies and dispossessed them of their
properties. After independence from Pakistan, the President of Bangladesh, in Order
No. 29 of 1972, changed the nomenclature of the law from the Enemy Properties Act
(EPA) to the Vested Property Act (VPA). Clause 2 of the Order further stated: “Nothing
contained in this Order shall be called in [to] question in any court”. The Order of the
President was subsequently not subject to judicial review.
According to the Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD), an NGO based
in Dhaka, the estimated total Hindu households affected has been 1,048,390, and the
estimated area of dispossessed land has totaled 1.05 million acres. About 30% -- 10 out
of every 34 -- of the Hindu households (including those that are categorized as missing
households) have been the victims of EPA\VPA. These estimates, although based on
some debatable assumptions, should be considered as sufficiently indicative of the
gravity of the law’s impact.cccxcvii
Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord of 1997

Chittagong Hills Tract is in southeast Bangladesh and is the homeland to the Jumma
peoples, 14 tribes of Sino-Tibetan origin. As their language, religion, social system, and
economic practices differed from those of the majority of Bangladesh’s population, the
Jumma peoples became victims of ethnic discrimination, forced relocation, land
eviction, rape, torture, and judicial executions. The CHT peace accord was an effort to
ease the struggle between the Jumma peoples and the government of Bangladesh.cccxcviii
United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of

All Forms of Racial Discrimination
On December 21, 1965, the United Nations adopted the International Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The fundamental of the
Convention are as follows:
Appendix A 96 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

Part I
• Defines racial discrimination as, “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or
preference based on race, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin”
• Condemns racial discrimination and segregation
• Promotes the right to equal justice and protection by the law, marriage and
choice of spouse, own property, education and freedom of religion, opinion,
and thought
Part II
• Establish a Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• Report annually to the General Assembly on its activities and provide
recommendations
Part III
• Open for signature by any State Member of the UN
The full text of the Convention can be found at:

http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/d_icerd.htm
United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political

Rights
On December 16, 1966, the United Nations adopted the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights. The fundamentals of the Covenant are as follows:
• Every human being has the right to life that shall be protected by law
• No one shall be subjected to torture or inhuman treatment
• Slavery and slave trade shall be prohibited
• Everyone has the right to liberty and security
• Everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his own
• Everyone will be equal in front of the law
• Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
• No marriage shall be entered into without the free and full consent of the
intending spouses
• There shall be an established Human Rights Committee
The full text of the Covenant can be found at:

http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/a_ccpr.htm
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On December 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. The fundamentals of the Declaration are as follows:

• All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights and have the right to
life, liberty and security
• Slavery and slave trade shall be prohibited
• All humans are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection by the law
• Everyone has the right to own property
• Everyone has the right to freedom of religion, including the right to change
religions
• Everyone has the right to work and the right to equal pay for work
• Everyone has the right to education
Following this act, the UN called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the
Declaration and, “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded
principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on
the political status of countries or territories.”
The full text of the Declaration can be found at:

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Appendix B
Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh from
January 1, 2008 to September 30, 2008. cccxcix
Incident Location January Source
Human Rights Abuse
1. Narayanpur Land-Grab/Intimdation: Subrata Kumar Dey Bhanu’s life was Samakal

District - Sherpur threatened by a Muslim businessman, who wanted Kumar’s 1/3/08
land. Kumar, Awami League Organizing Secretary from BHBCOP
Sherpur district, was forced to sell his ancestral land.
2. Village - Charia Attack/Looting: Six Hindu homes, including the house of Sangbad
Upazilla - Fulpur Rupendra Mondol, Senior Warrant Officer of the Rapid Action 1/6/08
District - Mymensingh Battalion (RAB) were attacked and looted. BHBCOP
3. Village - Khaliapara Attack/Looting: Dulal Sarkar’s home was attacked and looted Sangbad
Upazilla - Ullapara of gold and money. 1/6/08
District - Serajganj BHBCOP
4. Mahmoodkathi Murder/Looting/Temple Attack: Anu Rani Biswas, a Sevayet of Jugantar

Upazilla - Paikgacha Goddess Kali, was killed in the temple. The attacker also stole 1/6/08
District - Khulna gold ornaments from the temple. BHBCOP
5. Kalibazar Temple Attack/Looting: Two images of Radhakrishna and a Janakantha

District – Meherpur large amount of money were stolen from the Kalibazar Shiva 1/8/08
Temple.
6. Sachibuniajalma Land-Grab: A group of Muslims are trying to occupy a 300 Sangbad

Upazilla - Batiaghata year-old Cremation Grounds by using false documents 1/7/08
District – Khulna BHBCOP
7. District - Barishal Looting: A group of men are stealing the iron rods and grills Samakal
from the Barishal Cremation Grounds. The local administration 1/7/08
has failed to take any action. BHBCOP
8. Nathpara Temple Attack: All the images in the Jagadhatri Temple were Prathomalo
Upazilla - Chakaria demolished. 1/9/08
District - Cox’s Bazar
9. Village - Muraripur Attack/Looting: The home of Jiten Saha, a local businessman, Janakantha
Upazilla - Sujanagar was attacked and several valuables were looted, including gold 1/9/08
District - Pabna ornaments. Three persons were injured in the attack. BHBCOP
10. Village - Kalaiya Attack: A group of Mulsim men attacked and beat up Chapala Janakantha
Upazilla - Baufal Rani Shill (who was unclothed), and destroyed her family’s 1/11/08
District - Patuakahli farmland. She was seriously injured and admitted to the BHBCOP
hospital.
Appendix B 99 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

11. Village - Bakehar Murder/Kidnapping: The dead body of Sushanta Saha, a Janakantha
Upazilla - Sadar student at Government Rajendra College was recovered from 1/11/08
District - Faridpur a small pool of water near his house after being kidnapped and BHBCOP
missing for 52 days.
12. Village - Jato Chandrapara Murder/Gang-Rape/Kidnapping: Chameli Tripura, a Class 3 Janakantha

Upazilla - Ramgarh student at Sonai Agha Government Primary School, was 1/11/08
District – Khagrachari kidnapped by a group of Muslim men while she was on her BHBCOP
way home from school, and later gangraped and murdered.
13. Village - Debsayee Looting: An image of Lord Vishnu made of Blackstone and Samakal
Upazilla - Dhamrai worth Taka one crore was stolen (and later recovered). 1/11/08
District – Dhaka BHBCOP
14. Village - Nagra Attack/Looting: The house of Debabrata Saha, a businessman Sangbad
Upazilla - Sadar was attacked and valuables worth Taka 4 lakhs were looted. 1/11/08
District - Netrokona BHBCOP
15. Police Station - Shyampur Land-Grab/Temple Attack: Three Muslim men are trying to Bhorerkago
Dhaka forcibly occupy the 400 year-old Shri Shri Ramkrishna Akhra j
and Temple. 1/12/08
BHBCOP
16. Village - Gokulnagar Murder: Suman Chancre Debnath, a16 year-old Hindu boy was Jugantar
Upazilla - Bhairab killed by three Muslim men. 1/13/08
District - Kishoregonj
17. Village - Habibullapur Attack/Looting: The home of Prabhat Chandra Adhikari, Janakantha
Upazilla - Sadullapur Deputy Assistant Officer of the Agriculture Department, was 1/14/08
District – Gaibandha attacked and looted. BHBCOP
18. Village - Bamoi Temple Attack/Looting: Dayananda Amrita Ashram was Jugantar
Upazilla - Lakhai attacked and looted. 1/14/08
District – Habiganj BHBCOP
19. Dharampasha Temple Attack/Looting: Two images of Radhakrishna (Hindu Prathomalo

Distrct – Sunamgonj Deities) were stolen from Sree Sree Radhagobinda Akhra. 1/15/08
20. Village - West Dulal Temple Attack/Land-Grab: An image of Goddess Kali from a Janakantha
Upazilla - Sundarganj temple at Shilpara was destroyed by a group of Muslims, who 1/16/08
District – Gaibandha are trying to illegally occupy the temple property.
21. Biyani Bazar Temple Attack/Looting: The image of Bashudeb (Vasudeva) of Ittafaq
District - Sylhet the Bashudeb Temple was destroyed by a Muslim man, who 1/18/08
also looted several gold ornaments. He attacked the temple in BHBCOP
the evening while Uma Rani Chakraborty, Sevayet of this
temple was engaged in religious rituals.
22. District – Bajbari Attack: Abhijit Shome, a Hindu student at Rajbari Government Samakal
College, was attacked by his classmates and seriously injured. 1/18/08
BHBCOP
23. Village - Kapashtia Temple Attack: The image of Goddess Kali at Sarbajanin Kali Prothomalo
Upazilla - Durgapur Temple was destroyed by a group of Muslim men. 1/22/08
District - Netrokona

24. Chalnali Murder/Kidnapping: Gupal Das abducted and beaten to death Samakal
Upazilla - Gurudaspur by a group of Muslims. His dead body was found near his 1/22/08
District – Natore house. BHBCOP
25. Village - Nagar Attack/Land-Grab: Balaram and his wife were attacked by a Sangbad
Upazilla - Agailjhara Muslim man, who was trying to illegally occupy their land. 1/22/08
District – Barishal BHBCOP
26. Village - Dhopadi Murder: Kabita Mondol, a Hindu woman was killed by at her Samakal
Upazilla - Avoynagar house in Dhopapara. 1/28/08
District – Jessore
27. Palpara Attack on Religious Symbols: 34 images of Hindu Deities being Janakantha
District - Pirojpur made for Saraswati and Kali Puja (Hindu festival) were 1/29/08
destroyed by Muslim fundamentalists. The incident caused BHBCOP
widespread fear amongst the local Hindu community.
28. District – Jhalakathi Kidnapping: Biswajit Das Bishu, a Hindu businessman was BHBCOP
abducted. Date
Unknown
29. District - Sylhet Arson: The house of Tapan Mitra, a local Hindu leader of the Janakantha
Awami League (political party) was set on fire. 1/24/08
30. Shamsernagar Attack: Anil Pal, a Hindu teacher at AATM High School was Sangbad
Upazilla - Kamalganj beaten by a Muslim man. 1/29/08
District - Moulabibazar BHBCOP
31. Banaripara Land-Grab: A Muslim police officer occupied Hindu vested Inquilab
District – Barishal property (under the Enemy Property Act). 1/30/08
32. Village - Rajargaon Land-Grab: 4 Muslim men forcibly occupied the land of a Sangbad
Upazilla - Sadar Hindu man, Dilip Dey. 1/30/08
District – Sylhet BHBCOP
33. Village - Harhar Attack/Land-Grab: Golam Hossain Sikder, President of Batajor BHBCOP
Upazilla - Gournadi Union Bangladesh National Party (BNP) is trying to forcibly 1/5/08
District – Barishal evict Manik Malakar, from his land. Sikder tried to abduct and
kill Manik.
34. Village - Bapta A number of influential Muslims are trying to build graveyards BHBCOP
Upazilla - Sadar and mosques in a Hindu locality with several temples and 1/13/08
District - Bhola religious institutions, causing fear amongst the Hindu
residents.

Incident Location February Source
Human Rights Abuse
1. Panamnagar Land-Grab: Attempts to illegally occupy the property of a 300 Ittefaq

Upazilla - Sonargaon year- old Durga and Kali temple. Bijoya Dashami Mela takes 2/1/08
District -Narayangang place here every year. BHBCOP
2. Nayabari Murder/Attack/Looting: Shanto Datta, a gold trader, was Janakantho

Upazilla - Savar strangled to death by a group of men who attacked and looted 2/4/08
District - Dhaka his gold shop. The attackers stole 5 lakh takas worth of gold. BHBCOP
3. Upazilla - Dhamrai Looting: Three smugglers stole an image of a Hindu Deity Jugantor
District - Dhaka made of touchstone worth 20 lakh taka. 2/5/08
BHBCOP
4. Village - Alampur Rape: An adolescent daughter of Bhabesh Gopal Burman, a Samokal

Upazilla - Kshetlal trader in fried rice, was raped by two men. 2/6/08
District -Jaipurhat BHBCOP
5. Cllege Gate Attack/Looting: A gang of men attacked and looted the house Jugantor
District – Gazipur and shop of Dilip Roy. 2/8/08
BHBCOP
6. Upazilla - Mirzapur Attack/Land-Grab: A group of fundamentalists are trying to Janakantho

District – Tangail illegally occup the property of Niranjan Pal, Mirzapur 2/9/08
correspondent for the Daily Janakantho (news publication). BHBCOP
7. Kalampur Bazar Temple Attack/Looting: A group of men looted a temple Inquilab

Upazilla - Dhamrai located on a crematorium grounds. A nearby Hindu owned 2/9/08
District - Dhaka pharmacy was also looted. BHBCOP
8. District - Gazipur Looting: A gang of men attacked and looted the house and Ittefaq
gold shop of Dilip Sarker, and stole taka 5 lakhs in cash, 30 2/9/08
bhori gold ornaments and other valuables. BHBCOP
9. Village - Sachna Attack/Looting: Miscreants have attacked and looted the Jugantor
Upazilla - Jamalgang house of Bappa Ghose Chowdhury, a journalist. 2/9/08
District - Sunamgang
10. Kaukhali Kidnapping/Intimidation: Mr. Hemanta Kumar Chakma, Sangbad

District - Rangamati manager of the Kaukhali branch of BRAC was kidnapped, and 2/10/08
ransom in the amount of 3 lakhs taka has been demanded for
his release.
11. Village - Jhaljhali Land-Grab/Intimidation: Kazi Farms Group, a large poultry Samokal
Upazilla - Atowari farm, is forcing Hindu villagers to sell their land by filing false 2/12/08
District - Panchagarh police cases against them.
12. Village - Atoshkhali Attack/Looting: A group of men attacked a looted the home of Janakantho
Upazilla - Bauphal Ratneshwar Dhupi. They stole case, gold ornaments, and the 2/14/08
District - Patuakhali land deed documents. The police have failed to register a case BHBCOP
against the suspects.
13. Village -Parashurampur Attack/Looting: 25 Hindu families were attacked and looted by Banglabazar

Upazilla - Fakirhat about 200 Muslim fundamentalists during 4 days of religious 2/13/08
District - Bagerhat programs at Radha Gobinda Sebashram. About 30 people BHBCOP
were injured in the incident.
14. Upazilla - Patharghata Attack: The President of the School Managing Committee Prathom
District - Barguna attacked a Hindu girl, Lipi Rani from Golbunia Primary School, Alo
after she protested irregularities in the distribution of relief 2/16/08
materials.
15. Lal Bazar Attack/Land-Grab: Land owned by Deepankar Lahiri, a Hindu Sangbad
District - Natore journalist and news editor of the Amader Samoy, was illegally 2/17/08
occupied, and his mother was physically assaulted while trying BHBCOP
to resist.
16. Upazilla - Potia Murder: Sunil Dey, a Hindu boy was murdered, and his Bhorer
District - Chittagong mutilated body was later recovered. Kagoj
2/21/08
BHBCOP
17. Village - Jhaljhali Attack/Looting: A gang of men attacked and looted the house Jugantor
Upazilla - Atowari of Shyamal Saha, a Hindu trader. They stole 50,000 taka in 2/21/08
District - Panchagarh cash and 20 bhoris of gold ornaments. BHBCOP
18. District - Kishoregang Kidnapping: Pallab, a six-year old child kidnapped from Ittefaq
Norsingdi for ransom, was rescued by RAB from Kishoregang. 2/21/08
1.5 lac taka ransom money was demanded after Pallab, the BHBCOP
only son of a small trader, was kidnapped.
19. Baribindughat Marishya, Murder: Tapan Chakma, a member of Chittagong Hill Tracts Pratham
Baghaichhari Janasanghati Samity, was shot to death. Opponents of the Alo
District - Rangamati Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord with tribals are suspected 2/23/08
of being behind the murder.
20. Village - Banshia Attack/Extortion: Nirmal Chandra Datta, a Hindu assistant Sangbad
Upazilla - Gafargaon teacher of Banshia High School, was attacked and beaten up. 2/24/08
District - Mymensing The attackers demanded 45,000 taka from him.
21. Mokampunji Attack/Attempted Rape: A group of men tortured a Hindu girl, Jugantor
Upazilla - Jainta Lakman Manar, after attempting to rape her. She was 2/25/08
District - Sylhet hospitalized as a result of the incident. BHBCOP
22. Mokampunji Land-Grab: Land owned by Benoy Tudu, an indigenous tribal, Jugantor
Upazilla - Jainta was illegally occupied in collusion with officers from the local 2/24/08
District - Sylhet district administration. BHBCOP
23. District - Dhaka Murder: Pallab Sengupta, a Hindu laboratory technician at Sangbad
Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital, was brutally murdered in his 2/14/08
home. His attackers hung his dead body from a ceiling fan.
24. Village - Bamni Land-Grab: A group of neighboring Muslims are conspiring to Bhorer
Upazilla - Raypur evict the family of Prabodh Das (who recently died) and Kagoj
District - Laxmipur illegally occupy their land. 2/26/08
BHBCOP
25. Chanchkair Gurudashpur Temple Attack: A local Muslim trader destroyed a 100 yr-old Jugantor

District - Natore temple. 2/27/08
26. Village - Jhaljhali Kidnapping: Shilpi Rani, a 13 yr-old Hindu girl was kidnapped Inquilab
Upazilla - Atowari by 2 Muslims while she was on her way home.
District - Panchagarh 2/28/08
BHBCOP
27. Pallabi Murder: Priti Rani, a young Hindu girl from Chakal village in Samokal
Dhaka City Cantonment area was strangled to death, and her dead body 2/28/08
was found near a Muslim neighbor’s home.
Incident Location March Source
Human Rights Abuse
1. Village - Hatimara Rape/Kidnapping: A young tribal girl was abducted and raped by a Janakantho
Upazilla - Kaptai group of Muslims. 3/1/08
District - Rangamati BHBCOP
2. Ganjapara Land-Grab: Muslim fundamentalists forcibly occupied 20 acres of The Daily

Upazilla - Sadar land. Star
District -Khagrachhari 3/2/08
3. Village - Jabra Looting: An armed gang of 5-6 Muslim men looted several Hindu Samokal
Upazilla - Gheor homes, causing widespread fear among the local Hindu community. 3/6/08
District - Manikgang
4. Village -Chandrakhola Attack/Looting: A gang of 20-22 Muslims attacked and looted the Jugantor
Upazilla - Nababgang house of Milon Sarker. 9 Hindus were seriously injured in the 3/6/08
District – Dhaka incident. BHBCOP
5. Village -Shailakhola Land-Grab: The land of a Hindu family was forcibly occupied. Prathom
Upazilla - Goainghat Alo
District - Sylhet 3/6/08
BHBCOP
6. Village -Chandrakhola Attack/Looting: A group of men attacked a Hindu jewelry shop, Jugantor
Upazilla - Nababgang Pankaj Jewelers, in Upazilla Sadar bazaar. 3/7/08
District - Dhaka
7. Village -Chandrakhola Attack: A group of men attacked and damaged a Hindu Jugantor
Upazilla - Nababgang crematorium. 3/9/08
District – Dhaka
8. Upazilla - Bhanga Looting: A gang of 10-12 dacoits entered a Hindu home disguised as Janakantho
District - Faridpur police officers and looted the home. 3/9/08
BHBCOP
9. Upazilla - Gouranadi Looting: A group of men looted a home disguised as members of the Janakantho
District – Barisal Rapid Action Batallion (RAB). 3/9/08
10. Upazilla - Sadar Attack: Barun Kanti Biswas, a Hindu fish farmer, suffered taka 10 Sangbad

District - Gopalgang lakhs of damage after fish in 3 of his fish farms were poisoned. 3/6/08
BHBCOP
11. Upazilla - Sadar Temple Attack/Looting: Nimbarka Ashram, the biggest akhra of the Jugantor
District - Sylhet local Hindu community, was attacked and looted. 3/12/08
12. Village - Titar Kandi Murder: A Hindu farmer, Jitu Sutradhor was murdered after being Jugantor
Upazilla - Uttor tied up by a group of Muslims. 3/12/08
Matlob BHBCOP
District - Chandpur
13. Upazilla - Attack: A group of 5-6 Muslim fundamentalists attacked a Hindu girl, Jugantor
Jagannathpur Nishi Das, in the home of Rakhesh Das, seriously injuring her. 3/12/08
District – Sunamgang BHBCOP
14. Village - Kokhadi Attack: A Hindu man was attacked and tortured. Jugantor
Upazilla - Shibaloy 3/6/08
District - Manikgang
15. Uttar Tetabhumi Looting: A gang of Muslims looted the home of Khokan Shil. Samokal
Upazilla - 3/15/08
Brahmanpara
District – Comilla
16. Upazilla - Manirampur Murder: Sanjoy Kumar Halder, a Hindu lecturer in Sociology of Sangbad
District –Jessore Mashihati College of Manirampur Upazilla, was murdered after a 3/16/08
bomb was thrown at him. BHBCOP
17. Village - Arial Attack: Sushil Banerjee, a 60 yr-old Hindu, and former teacher at the Janakantho
Upazilla - Tongibari local Arial High School, was attacked. 3/18/08
District - Munshigang BHBCOP
18. Village -Shekhornagar Religious Attack: Muslim fundamentalists damaged images of Hindu Janakantho
Upazilla - Serajdikhan Deities during a puja (religious ritual), and demanded money. 3/20/08
District - Munshigang
19. Uttar Chhayabithi Murder: Fundamentalists killed a Hindu man named Sudeep Janakantho
Sadak, Sadar Chakroborty. 3/23/08
District – Gazipur BHBCOP
20. Upazilla - Sadar Land-Grab/Temple Attack: Land housing a 100 yr-old crematorium Samokal
District - Nilphamari was illegally occupied a number of Muslims, who built shops on the 3/29/08
property. Some of the temples located on the crematorium grounds
were destroyed.

Incident Location April Source
Human Rights Abuse
1. Village - Sarol Murder: Milon Mandol, a Hindu man from Harinagram in Prathom
Upazilla - Paikgachha Manirampur Upazilla was murdered. Alo
District - Munshigang 4/1/08
2. Upazilla - Sadar Attack: An armed gang of men attacked and injured Biman Chandra Jugantor
District - Joypurhat Basak, the Hindu Vice-president of Joypurhat District Lawyers’ 4/4/08
Association. BHBCOP
3. Village - Kakiladaho Land-Grab: 100 acres of land owned by the deceased Justice Radha Ittefaq
Upazilla - Mirpur Binode Pal were forcibly occupied. 4/5/08
District – Kusthia
4. Upazilla - Atrai Land-Grab: 2 Muslim men, including the Chairman of the Monijabi Janakantho
District - Naogaon Union, forcibly occupied the land of a temple dedicated to the 4/5/08
memory of Rabindranath Tagore.
5. Joutha Khamar Elaka Land-Grab: A Muslim man forcibly occupied a crematorium used by Bhorer
Upazilla - Sadar more than 100 tribal families. Kagoj
District - Bandarbon 4/8/08
6. Village - Dhankora Kidnapping: Shilpi Rani Sarker, a Hindu student at Government Samokal
Upazilla - Saturia Women’s College of Manikgang, was abducted by a Muslim man. 4/8/08
Distrct – Manikganj
7. Village - Ujirabhita Rape: A young Hindu girl, and daughter of a deaf man, was raped. Bhorer
Upazilla - Lohagara Kagoj
District - Chittagong 04/9/08
8. Chhota Dhamai Looting: A gang of armed men looted the home of Arobinda Sangbad
Upazilla - Sadar Sengupta, the Upazilla Social Service Officer. 4/1/08
District - Moulvibazar
9. Village - Gopinathpur Attack: A gang of Muslims attacked Ashoke Biswas, a Hindu trader, Janakantho
Upazilla - Sadar and cut off his hands and feet. 4/1/08
Distrct - Gopalganj
10. Village -Chhotagachha Murder: Mahadev Sarker, a Hindu trader involved in shrimp Janakantho
Upazilla - Tala farming, was killed by a bomb thrown by Muslim fundamentalists. 4/12/08
District - Satkhira BHBCOP
11. Ward no. 2 Temple Attack: A gang of men damaged 15 tombs at the Janakantho
Bauphal Municipality Shibannanda Ashram in Sahapara. 4/1/08
District - Patuakhali
12. Harikhali Katherpul Temple Attack: Muslim extremists attacked the Basanti Puja Sangbad
Area, Sadar Temple, and damaged an image of the Deity. 4/14/08
District - Bagerhat BHBCOP
13. Village - Chakbhabani Looting: A group of Muslims attacked the Shiv Thakur property in Sangbad
Upazilla - Patnitola Chakbhabani village, and looted a number of trees from the land. 4/16/08
District - Naogaon They also looted a number of Hindu homes in the area. BHBCOP

14. Village - Rupasdi Attack/Looting/Arson: Muslim fundamentalists attacked and looted Janakantho
Banchharampur 25 Hindu homes, damaging religious images and setting the homes 4/19/08
Brahmanbaria on fire.
15. Paisarhat Murder: A Hindu man, Suman Das, was bound up into a sack and Janakantho
Upazilla - Gouranadi thrown into a river, where he later died. 4/19/08
District - Barisal
16. Village - Satkauphala Temple Attack: Muslim fundamentalists destroyed images of Kali, Jugantor
Upazilla - Gouranadi Sheetola, Radha and Krishna, and Durga in a 200 yr-old temple. 4/19/08
District - Barisal BHBCOP
17. Village - Bolihar Looting: A group of men chopped down a number of fruit trees Prathom
Upazilla - Bagha owned by 3 Hindu men. Alo
District - Rajshahi 4/20/08
BHBCOP
18. Village -Shekhornagar Murder/Kidnapping: A group of Muslim men abducted and Samokal
Upazilla - Serajdikhan murdered Joni Baroi, a 25 yr-old Hindu. 4/23/08
District - Munshigang BHBCOP
19. Village -Shekhornagar Kidnapping: A gang of 5-6 armed men abducted Shrabonti Modak, a Inquilab
Upazilla - Serajdikhan Hindu girl. 4/24/08
20. Village -Shekhornagar Temple Attack/Arson: Muslim extremists set fire to the Kali Temple Sangbad
Upazilla - Serajdikhan in the Muchirhat crematorium and damaged images of Deities in the 4/26/08
District - Munshigang temple.
21. Village -Shekhornagar Attack/Temple Destruction: Muslim fundamentalists from the BNP Prathom
Upazilla - Serajdikhan attacked Itakumari village, and destroyed several Hindu homes and Alo
District - Munshigang temples. 20 people, including women and children, were injured in 4/1/08
the incident. BHBCOP
22. Kacharipara Temple Attack: Muslim extremists destroyed the famous Shiva Prathom
Upazilla - Sadar Temple of Chandraboti. Alo
District - Kishoregang 4/27/08
23. Village - Ramnagor Land-Grab: A number of powerful Muslims illegally occupied the Oikyo
Upazilla - Shibaloy land of a 50 yr-old Kali Temple. Parishad
District - Manikgang Date
Unknown
24. Village - Kulipasha Attack/Intimidation: A group of men tortured and harassed Santosh Oikyo
Upazilla - Manirampur Das and members of his family. Parishad
District - Jessore Date
Unknown
25. Upazilla - Khoksa A slaughterhouse was built at the Khoksa Mahakali Temple-area, Oikyo
District - Kusthia which is densely populated by Hindus. Parishad
Date
Unknown
26. Sutrapur Land-Grab: A group of Muslims used fake documents to try and Oikyo
Dhaka seize the property of Sree Sree Madan Mohan Goura Nitai Bigraha. Parishad

Date
Unknown
27. 57, Sher-E-Bangla Road Land-Grab: Hindu property was illegally leased out to a Muslim Oikyo
Upazilla - Sonadanga under the Enemy Vested Property Act. Parishad
District – Khulna Date
Unknown
28. Village - Kulipasha Land-Grab: A group of Muslims are trying to illegally occupy Hindu Oikyo
Upazilla - Manirampur owned land, and chopped down a number of trees on the property. Parishad
District - Jessore Date
Unknown
Incident Location May Source
Human Rights Abuse
Village - Peerpur
Bhorer
Upazilla - Nachol Rape: A 7 yr-old tribal girl was raped by a Muslim man, and was later
1. Kagoj
District – Chanpai - hospitalized.
5/3/08
Nababgang
Village - Sardarpara Murder/Rape: A newlywed tribal woman was raped and brutally Sangbad
2. Upazilla - Madhukhali killed by a group of unidentified men. The incident caused 5/6/08
District - Faridpur widespread fear and insecurity in the local tribal community. BHBCOP
Dakshin Bhadartti Murder/Gang-Rape: A number of Muslim men gang-raped a Pratham

3. Upazilla - Kaligang Christian woman and her daughter at gunpoint in their home. The Alo
District – Gazipur daughter was later strangled to death. 5/10/08
Land-Grab: 10-12 armed men attacked the home of Laxman Sarker

Village - Kayetpara Janakantho
and looted several valuables, destroyed property, committed arson
4. Upazilla - Roopgang 5/10/08
and harassed the women living there. Several people were seriously
District -Narayangang BHBCOP
injured in the incident.
Temple Attack/Looting: A group of Muslims broke the locks of the

Jugantor
Upazilla - Gouripur Gobinda Jeu Temple and the Laxmi Narayan Temple of Madhya
5. 5/10/08
District - Mymensing Bazar, and stole six images of Radha and Krishna made of silver and
BHBCOP
brass, as well as other valuables from the temples.
Attack/Land-Grab: A gang of Muslim men attacked the house of

Dharmaboti Bhakto, a 65 yr-old Hindu man, and looted several Sangbad
Village - Panchgharia
valuables, destroyed property, and molested some of the women 5/31/08
6. Upazilla - Sadar
living there. Dharmaboti Bhakto and Beauty Bhakto, his daughter-in- BHBCOP
law, were severely injured and hospitalized in critical condition. The
attack was an attempt to evict them from their land.
Sangbad
Upazilla - Shibchar
7. Rape: A young 20 yr-old mother was raped. 5/31/08
District - Madaripur
BHBCOP

Village - Dakshin
Debatra Temple Attack/Arson: A gang of 5-7 unidentified men destroyed the Jugantor
8.
Upazilla - Mathbaria 100 yr-old Harisabha temple by setting fire to it. 5/29/08
District – Pirojpur
Intimidation: A local Muslim political leader threatened to murder

Upazilla - Islampur Bhabatosh Chakraborty Manik,the Hindu President of Jamalpur Samokal
9.
District - Jamalpur Reporters’ Unity and local correspondent for Daily Ajker Jamalpur, 5/28/08
for publishing reports about his corruption.
Village -Ghoradia Samokal

Murder: A Hindu man was murdered, and his dead body found in
10. Upazilla - Sadar 5/28/08
the Hareedoa river.
District - Narsingdi BHBCOP
Village - Manipur Attack/Looting: A gang of 15-20 dacoits entered into the house of Bhorer
11. Upazilla - Sadar Subhash Chandra Burman, stole several valuables, and injured 3 Kagoj
District – Gazipur people. 5/28/08
Village - Betkandi Intimidation/Looting: Hindus suffered a series of incidents, including Sangbad

12. Upazilla - Shahjadpur theft, hijacking, extortion and intimidation perpetrated by a gang of 5/27/08
District - Serajgang Muslims. BHBCOP
Attack/Looting/Land-Grab: A group of Muslims attempted to

Village -Momishepara
illegally occupy the land of Machan Chini, and looted their house Sangbad
13. Upazilla - Amtoli
and seriously injured 4 peopl. The same group previously forcibly 5/22/08
District - Barguna
occupied neighboring land.
Village - Sardarpara Murder/Land-Grab: Sumita Bala Dhar, a 70 yr-old Hindu woman, Janakantho
14. Upazilla - Madhukhali was slaughtered by a gang of Muslims, who were attempting to 5/19/08
District - Faridpur illegally occupy her house and land. BHBCOP
Village - Sardarpara Murder/Attack: A Hindu man and his wife, Moti Rani, were attacked Sangbad
15. Upazilla - Madhukhali by a group of unidentified men. Moti Rani was killed , while her 5/21/08
District - Faridpur husband Subhash managed to escape, but suffered serious injuries. BHBCOP
Village - Sardarpara
Kidnapping: A newlywed Hindu woman was kidnapped at gunpoint Janakantho
16. Upazilla - Madhukhali
by 3 Muslim men. The woman was later rescued by the police. 5/20/08
District - Faridpur
Village - Madanpur Attack/Land-Grab: A gang of 20 Muslims led by a local B.N.P. leader Janakantho
17. Upazilla - Beergang damaged the house and place of worship of a Hindu family, while 5/18/08
District -Dinajpur attempting to illegally occupy their house. BHBCOP
Village -Mandardanga Samokal

Murder/Attack: A 20 yr-old Hindu female servant was tortured and
18. Upazilla - Keshobpur 5/19/08
murdered by the Muslim owners of the house she worked in.
District – Jessore BHBCOP
Attack/Looting: A gang of 20-25 armed men attacked the house of

Village - Thikrabad Prathom
Tulsi Mistri and Swapan Mistri, and took them hostage while they
19. Upazilla - Batiaghata Alo
stole 15,000 taka in cash and four bhoris of gold ornaments. Several
District – Khulna 5/17/08
people were injured in the attack.
Village - Birampur
Attack: Manmohan Talukdar was attacked by a group of Muslims Samokal
20. Upazilla - Mohangang
with axes, and is now hospitalized. 5/17/08
District - Netrakona

Village - Dakhin Prathom
Shahabajpur Land-Grab: 10 tribal families lost their land after being deceived by Alo
21.
Upazilla - Barolekha the authorities of the Rahamania Tea Garden. 5/18/08
District - Moulvibazar BHBCOP
Prathom
Bania Gundail Kidnapping: Gupo Rani, a Hindu woman, and her son Pabitra Kumar,
Alo
22. Upazilla - Sherpur were were kidnapped by a gang of Muslims. Although Pabitra was
5/1/08
District - Bogra rescued after three days, Gupo Rani still remains missing.
BHBCOP
Prathom
Kidnapping: Santu Tripura, a 13 yr-old tribal boy was kidnapped on Alo
23. Rangamati
his way home. 5/1/08
BHBCOP
Village -Kabirpur Attack/Looting: A gang of men attacked the house of Jagannath Das Bhorer
24. Upazilla - Shoilakupa Saha, a retired Hindu schoolteacher, and looted several valuables, Kagoj
District -Jhenaidaha including cash and ornaments worth more than 1 lakh taka. 5/5/08
Murder: Petition Sangma (55), a security guard of Merina Tea Jugantor

Upazilla - Kulaura
25. Garden, was murdered by a group of unidentified men. This cause 5/9/08
District -Moulvibazar
widespread fear amongst the local minority community. BHBCOP
Sadar Road Attack/Looting: A gang of dacoits attacked the house of Geeta Roy
Janakantho
26. Upazilla - Sadar Chowdhury, and stole valuables including 40,000 taka in cash and 15
5/9/08
District –Barisal bhoris of gold ornaments.
Prathom
Village -Sardarpara
Attack: A group of Muslims poured poison into two ponds owned Alo
27. Upazilla -Madhukhali
Poorna Chandra, thereby killing fish worth taka 22 lakhs. 5/4/08
District -Faridpur
BHBCOP
Village - Goal Bathan

Attack/Looting: A gang of armed robbers broke looted a Christian Sangbad
28. Upazilla - Kaliakoir
family’s home at gun-point and stole taka 4 lakhs worth of items. 5/9/08
District –Gazipur
Attack/Looting: A gang of 40-45 armed men attacked the house of

Village -Bhabanipur Sunil Chowdhury, a Hindu businessman. The dacoits looted goods Jugantor
29. Upazilla - Hathajari worth 30 lakhs taka, including 4 lakhs of cash and 80 bhoris of gold 5/6/08
District -Chattogram ornaments. Two people were stabbed during the incident. BHBCOP
Oikyo
Village -Ujirpur
Land-Grab/Intimidation: A group of Muslim extremists threatened Parishad
30. Upazilla - Ujirpur
to kill and illegally occupy the property of Sree Debotosh Chanda. Date
District –Barisal
Unknown
Oikyo
Banchharampur Land-Grab/Intimidation: A Muslim man, in violation of a High Court
Parishad
31. Upazilla - Sadar injunction, is building a structure on land owned by Sree Balai
Date
District -Laxmipur Chandra Das, while threatening and harassing his family.
Unknown
Village -Batajore Attack/Land-Grab/Intimidation: Golam Hossain Sikder, President of Oikyo

32.
Upazilla - Gouranadi the Batajore Union Jubodal, evicted Manik Malakar from his land Parishad

District – Barisal through threats, harassment and violence. Date
Unknown
Oikyo
Upazilla - Kulaura Land-Grab: The land of Sreepur Gourango Mahaprabhu was forcibly Parishad
33.
District - Moulvibazar occupied. Date
Unknown
Incident Location June Source
Human Rights Abuse
1. Upazilla -Panchhari Temple Attack/Looting: A group of Muslims attacked the Debaloy Bhorer
District -Khagrachhari Temple and destroyed seven images. Taka 30,000 in cash and two Kagoj
bhoris of gold ornaments were also stolen from the Temple. 6/7/08
2. Village - Singlab Land-Grab/Attack/Looting/Extortion: A group of 15-20 men Bhorer

Upazilla - Sonargaon attacked the homes of Niranjan Biswas and his nephew, Sudeb Kagoj
District -Narayangang Chandra Biswas, as they refused to pay Taka 10 lakhs in extortion. 6/7/08
Several valuables were stolen from their homes, including 4 bhoris
of gold ornaments and 7,000 taka in cash. The attackers were
attempting to illegally occupy their land.
3. Village - Guabaria Attack/Land-Grab: A gang of unidentified men attacked Kalachan BhorerKagoj

Upazilla - Hizla Saha and threw acid on his face and other parts of his body. He was 6/9/08
District – Barisal admitted into Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical injured BHBCOP
condition. The attackers were attempting to intimidate him, so they
could illegally occupy his land.
4. Upazilla - Banshkhali Temple Attack/Looting: A group of men attacked and looted 9 Bhorer
District - Chittagong temples at Kalipur, Boilchhari, Banigram and Kalibari during a period Kagoj
of 20 days. The attackers stole more than taka 10 lakhs worth of 6/8/08
BHBCOP
valuables, including 8 bhoris of gold ornaments.
5. District - Naogaon Land-Grab: A gang of Muslims forged documents and illegally Sangbad
occupied the properties of several tribals including Atul Sarder Kuju, 6/6/08
Sreemati Buddhimaoni Urao, Sreekush Urao, Ratan Pahan, and BHBCOP
Radha Pahan. In spite of having favorable court verdicts, the
dispossessed tribals were not able to regain possession of their land.
6. Madhyam Kakaldi Kidnapping: Oishi Rani Mandal, a young Hindu girl and student at Jugantor
Upazilla - Sirajdikhan Malkhanpur High School, was kidnapped by 2 Muslim men on her 6/7/08
District - Munshigang way to school. The incident created widespread fear in the local
Hindu community.
7. Village - Birampur Murder: A group of unidentified men stabbed Manmohan Talukder Sangbad
Upazilla - Mohangang (55), in his home. He died 1 month later in the hospital from his stab 6/10/08
District - Netrakona wounds. BHBCOP

8. Upazilla - Nababgang Murder/Kidnapping/Land-Grab: A group of powerful Muslims, with Inquilab
District - Dinajpur direct help from the local administration, kidnapped two tribals— 6/17/08
Sarker Tudu and Shome Hasda, and murdered them. The attackers BHBCOP
illegally occupied 70 bighas of land from Tudu and Hasda.
9. Majhipara Rape: A Muslim dentist raped a young Hindu girl in his office. The Bhorer
Upazilla - Singair girl was hospitalized following the incident. Kagoj
District - Manikgang 6/16/08
10. Village - Gabtoli Land-Grab/Intimidation: A group of Muslims occupied 21 acres of Janakantho

Upazilla - Taltoli land from Chittaranjan and Sukharanjan, and threatened to kill them 6/17/08
District - Barguna if they didn’t leave the country.
11. Upazilla - Golachipa Intimidation: Unidentified men have been threatening to kill Sangbad
District - Patuakhali Shankar Lal Das, a Hindu correspondent for the Daily Janakantho 6/28/08
and President of the Press Club in Golachipa. BHBCOP
12. Village - Naorshera Land-Grab: 2 Muslims forcibly evicted Udoy Mandol, a 102 yr-old Sangbad
Upazilla - Bagatipara tribal, from his home. Udoy is now homeless and living on the 6/31/08
District – Natore street as a beggar. BHBCOP
13. Village - Moshipara Attack/Looting/Arson: A gang of 20-25 Muslims attacked the house Samakal
Upazilla - Dhamrai of Haripada Halder, beat up several people, damaged property, set 6/23/08
District – Dhaka fire to the house and looted ornaments and money. 7 people, BHBCOP
including Haripada Halder (70) and his blind wife, Rani Halder (62)
were seriously injured.
14. Village - Berbari Attack: A group of Muslim men attacked the house of Mandrila Samokal
Upazilla - Sakhipur Malo, a tribal man. 9 people were injured and hospitalized. 6/22/08
District – Tangail BHBCOP
15. Upazilla - Sadar Temple Attack/Looting: A group of men attacked and looted the Prathom
District - Joykali Mata Temple. The incident caused widespread anger and Alo
Brahmanbaria fear amongst the local Hindu community. 6/21/08
16. Village - Durgapur Murder/Attack/Looting: A group of men entered the house of Inquilab
Upazilla - Doarabazar Shishir Roy and killed his wife, Anima Roy, by strangling her to 6/21/08
District - Sunamgang death. Another person, Dipti Roy, was injured in the incident. The BHBCOP
attackers also stole several valuables from the house.
17. Modhyo Akalia Murder: Unidentified men killed Katic Das, a Hindu village Samakal
Upazilla - Titas policeman. 6/21/08
District –Comilla
18. Upazilla - Putia Rape: A Muslim school teacher, raped a tribal girl after confining her Samokal
District - Rajshahi in a room. She was later admitted to the hospital. 6/24/08
BHBCOP
19. Village - Kamargram Land-Grab/Attack: A group of Muslims led by the local President of Janakantho

Upazilla - Mollarhat Community Policing and with the assistance of the local 6/21/08
District - Bagerhat administration, forcefully occupied 31 decimals of land owned by BHBCOP
Bimal Bala. While trying to resist, Bimal Bala, his elderly mother,
wife, and daughter were injured in the incident.
20. Hugolbaria Rape/Attack: A 5 yr-old Hindu girl was raped by a Muslim man. The Bhorer
Upazilla - Sadar girl’s neighbor, Dr. Satyendra Nath Sarker, was assaulted and injured Kagoj
District – Natore by the rapist after protesting the incident. 6/19/08
BHBCOP
21. Village - Golabaria Rape/Kidnapping: A young girl was abducted and raped by a BhorerKagoj
Upazilla - Sadar Muslims man. 6/9/08
District - Gopalganj BHBCOP
22. Bhanugachh Bazar Attack/Looting: A gang of 7-8 men attacked and robbed Gnayendra Sangbad
Upazilla - Kamalgang Sharma, Manager of Shamun Traders. His unconscious body was 6/8/08
District - Moulvibazar taken to the hospital.
23. Village - Gadakhola Attack/Looting: A gang of 10-12 men entered the house of Mantu Prathom
Upazilla - Baliakandi Goswami and Uttom Goswami, and kept them hostage while they Alo
District – Rajbari stole goods worth more than 2 lakhs taka, including 20,000 taka in 6/9/08
cash and 4 bhoris of gold ornaments.
24. Village - Jatrabari Attack/Looting: A gang of 20-25 armed men entered into the house Janakanthoj
Upazilla - Sadarpur of Khokan Pal, a Hindu gold trader, and stole goods worth more 6/10/08
District - Faridpur than 20 lakhs taka, including three lakhs taka in cash and 40 bhoris BHBCOP
of gold ornaments. Khokan Pal’s two sons were injured while trying
to resist.
25. Dakshin Khanpur Attack/Looting: A gang of armed men entered the house of Sanjoy Bhorer
Upazilla - Sadar Pal, and robbed the house at gunpoint. More than 2 lakhs taka Kagoj
District - Bagerhat were stolen, including 14,000 taka in cash, and gold ornaments. Two 6/10/08
people were injured in the incident. BHBCOP
26. Chandpur Thakurbari Attack: A group of officials from the Narcotics Control Department Sangbad
Upazilla - Mithapukur attacked a tribal village, and beat up several people, including 6/12/08
District - Rangpur women and children. 4 tribals were serisouly injured in the attack. BHBCOP
27. Village - Machhladpur Kidnapping: A gang of Muslims abducted Beauty Biswas. Sangbad
Upazilla - Madhukhali 6/13/08
District - Faridpur BHBCOP
Incident Location July – August Source
Human Rights Abuse
1. Upazilla - Sadar Murder: Unidentified men brutally murdered Lenard Lakra. His Bhorer

District - Tankurgaon maimed body was recovered from a pond. Kagoj
8/4/08
BHBCOP
2. Uttar Tarabuniai Temple Attack: Unidentified men entered stole valuables worth Inquilab
Upazilla - Rajapur 20,000 taka from a 120 yr-old Durga-temple. 8/4/08
District - Jhalokathi BHBCOP
3. District - Faridpur Temple Encroachment: The authorities of the Government Regional Janokantho
Co-operative Institute are trying to construct a boundary wall 8/4/08
encircling the Choudhurybari Durga-temple. The local Hindu BHBCOP
community fears that the wall will hinder their worship and religious
activities. The Temple Committee is attempting to halt the
construction of the wall in the courts.
4. Village - Komarpur Land-Grab/Intimidation: A group of 12-13 Muslim men are trying to Bhorer
Upazilla - Badalgachhi illegally occupy 87 decimals of land owned by Ananda Kumar Sil. Kagoj
District - Naogaon Since Ananda is a member of the local Hindu community, they are 8/2/08
also trying to intimidate and harass him.
5. Village - Laharpur Land Encroachment: A group of men are trying to forcefully Prathom
Upazilla - Sreemangal construct a road across the land of the Debostholi Raghunathji Alo
District -Moulavibazar akhra. They’ve already broken a part of the boundary wall, causing 8/2/08
widespread resentment amongst the local Hindu community. BHBCOP
6. Village - Guabaria Land-Grab: An influential family is trying to forcibly evict Paresh Bhorer
Upazilla - Phulbari Chandra Mistri and his family from their land. Kagoj
District - Patuakhali 7/1/08
BHBCOP
7. Kutichandrakhana Rape: A Muslim man harassed and attempted to rape Kakoli Rani, a Sangbad
Upazilla - Phulbari Hindu girl. 8/5/08
District - Kurigram BHBCOP
8. Bhadrokhali Looting/Attack: A gang of dacoits stole more than sixty thousand Janokantha
Upazilla - Akkelpur taka worth of goods and 14 grams of gold ornaments from several 8/5/08
District - Joipurhat Hindu homes, including Bhupendranath Mandol, Girendranath BHBCOP
Mandol, Pradip Mandol, Nireen Mandol and Ujjal Mandol.
Girendranath Mandol and his wife, Shukrana Mandol were severely
injured in the incident.
9. Village - Latabunia Murder: Unidentified men killed Sushanto Kumar Roy, a Hindu Janokantha
Upazilla - Dumuria employee of a shrimp farm, by strangling him to death. 8/5/08
District – Khulna
10. Upazilla - Roopganj Attack: Swadesh Roy and his family were attacked and their home Janokantha
District -Narayanganj looted by a group of Muslims, who were trying to force them to 8/7/08
leave the country. Several people were seriously injured in the BHBCOP
attack, including an elderly woman.
11. Village - Chougram Attack/Extortion: Rafikur Islam, leader of Rafik Bahini, along with a Janokantha
Upazilla - Singra group of Muslims are demanding 1 lakh taka from Ujjal Debnath, a 8/8/08
District – Natore Hindu trader. They have already attacked him and continue to BHBCOP

threaten him.
12. Upazilla - Sadar Temple Attack: A group of men broke into the Alishwar Buddhitola Sangbad
District - Comilla Bouddhabihar, and stole two images of Buddha, money, and other 8/9/08
valuables.
13. Upazilla - Balaganj Land-Grab: A group of land-grabbers is trying to illegally occupy 23 Jugantor
District - Sylhet acres of land owned by 48 families through intimidation and forged 8/9/08
documents. BHBCOP
14. Village - Sonapur Attack/Extortion: A gang of 8-9 Muslims destroyed the homes of Jugantor
Upazilla - Sadar two minorities, after they failed to pay 1 lakh taka in extortion 8/11/08
District - Feni money. BHBCOP
15. Upazilla - Sadar Murder: Akhil Banik, a Hindu trader, was brutally murdered by a Bhorer
District - Jessore group of unidentified men. The police later recovered Akhil’s Kagoj
mutilated body. 8/31/08
BHBCOP
16. Village - Jotgopal Land-Grab: A group of influential Muslims are trying to forcibly evict Bhorer
Upazilla - Godagari (through forged papers) 37 tribal families from land their ancestors Kagoj
District - Rajshahi have been living on for 150 years. 8/31/08
BHBCOP
17. Upazilla - Kaliganj Attack/Looting: A gang of 12-14 armed robbers attacked the house Sangbad
District - Jheneidaha of Manoj Sarker Man, a journalist, and held the residents hostage, 7/30/08
while they stole 4 lakh taka worth of valuables, including cash and
gold ornaments.
18. Village - Dadrajonti Attack/Looting: A gang of 10-12 men attacked Pratul Mandol, a Bhorer
Upazilla - Sadar retired teacher, in his home and stole several valuables, including Kagoj
District - Joypurhat 60,000 taka in cash and 6 grams of gold ornaments. Subsequently, 8/29/08
they attacked Swajon Mandol, Ujjwal Mandol and Utpal Mandol, BHBCOP
who lived nearby and stole several valuables.
19. Upazilla - Mithapukur Rape: 2 Muslims raped Adori Rani, a young Hindu student at Prathom
District - Rangpur Ranipukur High School. After the incident she went home and Alo
committed suicide by strangiling herself with her own scarf. 7/24/08
20. Nannar Bazar Temple Encroachment: Members of the BNP illegally occupied land Samokal
Upazilla - Dhamrai (worth 20 crores taka) owned by the Kalibari Temple. As a result, 8/27/08
District - Dhaka religious activities at the temple have been obstructed. BHBCOP
21. Upazilla - Agoiljhara Temple Attack: Two Muslim men entered into the local Kali Temple Samokal
District - Barisal in Baroipara and destroyed images of Kali and Shitola. 8/27/08
BHBCOP
22. Village - Kagmara Attack: A group of Muslims destroyed a tin shed connected to the Jugantor
Upazilla - Sadar house of Suman Kumar Roy, and beat up his mother, Sunita Roy, 8/27/08
District - Tangail when she tried to resist.
23. Village -Mirwarishpur Land-Grab: A group of Muslims illegally occupied land owned by Sangbad
Upazilla -Begumgang Jyoti Bhat, and built a structure on the property. 7/25/08
District - Noakhali

24. Agoiljhara Barisal Temple Attack/Looting: A group of unidenftified men broke into a Janokantha
100 yr-old Kali temple, stole an image of Radha-Krishna made of 8/25/08
brass and decorated with gold ornaments, and damaged the images BHBCOP
of Kali and Manosa. The incident created widespread resentment in
the local Hindu community.
25. Village - Kukrarai Murder/Attack: Rakesh Das, a fisherman, and three of his Jugantor
Upazilla - Bazitpur companions were brutally attacked while going out to fish. Rakesh 8/25/08
District - Kishoreganj died in the hospital from his injuries.
26. Sher-e- Bangla Road Murder: Unknown men stabbed and killed Gobinda Saha, a Hindu Jugantor
Sadar, Khulna businessman. 8/23/08
BHBCOP
27. Upazilla - Panchbibi Murder: Unknown men brutally murdered Sujan Hasda, a 12 yr-old Bhorer
District - Joypurhat tribal boy. Kagoj
8/23/08
28. Baghaihati Murder/Attack: A group of Muslim men dragged Ladumoni Chakma Prathom
Upazilla -Baghaichhari out of his house and killed him. Ladumoni’s wife was also injured in Alo
District - Rangamati the attack. 8/21/08
BHBCOP
29. Village - Nekri Attack: A group of men are attacking and intimidating 100 Hindu Sangbad
Upazilla -Shyamnagar families in the area. 7/18/08
District - Satkhira
30. District - Barisal Looting: Unknown men forced their way into Ripon Biswas’ house, Sangbad
kept his brother and sister hostage at gunpoint, while they stole 4 8/21/08
lakhs taka. BHBCOP
31. Village - Deogaon Land-Grab/Intimidation: A group of men are threatening Joseph Bhorer
Upazilla - Savar Rozario, a Christian, and his family, while trying to forcibly occupy Kagoj
District - Dhaka his land. 8/19/08
BHBCOP
32. Village - Kaizerkundu Attack/Intimidation: A group of Muslims attacked Haripada Malo Bhorer
Upazilla - Sitakundu and his son, Bhanjan Malo. The attackers threatened and Kagoj
District - Dhaka intimidated the family, causing they to leave their home. 8/15/08
BHBCOP
33. Nitaiganj Attack/Looting: Unidentified men broke into the house of Narayan Sangbad
Upazilla - Sadar Chandra Pal, a Hindu banker, stabbed Narayan and stole 70,000 taka 8/15/08
District -Narayanganj and 50 grams of gold ornaments. BHBCOP
34. Barobkundu Kathgarh Land-Grab/Intimidation: A Muslim man illegally occupied the land of Bhorer
Upazilla - Sitakundu Nepal Das and Fenju Das, and continues to threaten them. Kagoj
District – Chittagong 8/13/08
BHBCOP
35. Village - Lakurtola Temple Attack/Arson: Unidentified men set fire to the local Kali Bhorer
Upazilla - Sadar Temple, burning the temple along with several images of Deities. Kagoj
District - Barguna 8/13/08
36. Village - Dumnighat Attack: 10-15 Muslims attacked local tribals, seriously injuring 4 Sangbad

Upazilla - Bhaluka people. 8/12/08
District - Mymensing
37. Village - Bhannara Attack/Looting: A gang of unidentified men attacked the home of Prathom
Upazilla - Kaliakoir Rajani Kanta Burman, a former member of the Bangladesh football Alo
District - Gazipur (soccer) team, and stole goods worth 3 lakhs taka, including cash 8/12/08
and gold ornaments. 4 people were injured in the incident. BHBCOP
38. Upazilla - Aditmari Intimidation: Mohammad Ali, Chairman of the Bhelabari Union BHBCOP
District - Lalmonirhat Council in Aditmari Upazilla, has been harassing and intimidating Date
Subal Chandra Burman and Dhanabar Burman. Unknown
39. Village - Lakurtola Land-Grab: More than 100 decimals of land (out of a total of 123 BHBCOP
Upazilla - Sadar decimals) of the Sree Sree Radha Gobinda Math and Ramakrishna Date
District - Barguna Ashram Temple have been forcibly occupied. Unknown
40. Upazilla - Baralekha Land-Grab: The land of the Tuka Sree Sree Mahaprabhur Ashram BHBCOP
District - Moulavi has been illegally occupied by a local Muslim official. Date
bazaar Unknown
41. Upazilla - Kutubdia Land-Grab: A group of Muslim men are illegally occupying land BHBCOP
District - Cox’s Bazar owned by Gangaram Das, Tapan Kumar Das and Mangal Chandra Date
Das. Uknown
42. Upazilla - Kutubdia Land-Grab/Intimidation: A group of Muslims illegally occupied land BHBCOP
District - Cox’s Bazar owned by Bishwanath Chandra Das and Ranajit Jaladas, and are now Date
threatening to kill them. Unknown
43. Village - Batajore Attack/Intimidation: A number of influential local Muslims are are BHBCOP
Upazilla - Gouranadi harassing and threatening Manik Malakar, and trying to force him to Date
District - Barisal leave the country. Unknown
44. Village - Dashuria Kidnapping: A Muslim boy abducted Soma Rani Sarker from the BHBCOP
Upazilla - Ishwardi same college. Date
District - Pabna Unknown
45. Village - Chaocha Land-Grab/Intimidation: A group of men have illegally occupied land BHBCOP
Upazilla - Muksudpur owned by Balai Chandra Mandal, through fraudulent litigation, and Date
District - Barguna are now threatening to kill him. Unknown
46. Dakshin Pahartoli Land-Grab/Intimidation: A group of Muslims are threatening and BHBCOP
Upazilla - Hathajari harassing Pradip Kumar Mohar and his family in an attempt to Date
District - Chittagong forcibly occupy their land. Unknown
47. Village - Mohendradi Land-Grab/Intimidation: Several Muslim men are harassing and BHBCOP
Upazilla - Rajoir threatening Uttam Kumar Banerjee, in an attempt to illegally occupy Date
District - Madaripur his land. Unknown
48. Upazilla - Fakirhat, Land-Grab: A number of Muslim men are forcibly occupying land BHBCOP
Mollarhat owned by several Hindus, and converting the land into fish farms. Date
District - Bagerhat Unknown
49. Village - Karachpur Land-Grab: A Muslim man is trying to illegally occupy the property BHBCOP
Upazilla - Mohangang of Subal Bishwabarma by forging false property deeds, and has Date
District - Netrakona already removed trees worth more than 1 lakh taka. Unknown

50 Village - Charhogla Land-Grab/Intimidation: A group of Muslims are trying to force BHBCOP
Upazilla - Faridgang Amar Krishna Roy and his family to leave Bangladesh, and are trying Date
District - Chandpur to forcibly occupy his land. Unknown
Incident Location September Source
Human Rights Abuse
1. Upazilla - Mithapukur Rape: 2 Muslim boys raped Adori Rani, a young Hindu girl. at Samokal
District - Rangpur Ranipukur High School with the assistance of two school nurses. 9/2/08
Adori Rani later committed suicide. BHBCOP
2. Village - Narandia Murder/Looting: A gang of unidentified men entered the house of Janokantho
Upazilla - Kalihati Shyamal Kumar Modak, a Hindu trader, and strangled his 70-year 9/2/08
District – Tangail old mother, Jyotsna Rani Modak, to death while she was sleeping. BHBCOP
They then stole gold ornaments worth 30, 000 taka.
3. Upazilla - Sreemangal Property Damage: A group of Muslims caused 3.5 lakh taka worth of Prathom
District -Moulavibazar damage to fish ponds owend by Biswajit Choudhury, a local Hindu Alo
correspondent of Prathom Alo (a news publication) 9/2/08
BHBCOP
4. Upazilla - Sadar Murder: Unidentified attackers murdered Akhil Banik, a prominent Sangbad
District – Jessore Hindu trader, by stabbing him to death. 9/3/08
BHBCOP
5. Village - Temer Temple Attack/Looting: Some unidentified men damaged three Sangbad
Upazilla - Agoiljjhara images of Deities at the Sarbojaneen Sitola and Kali temple located 9/2/08
District - Barisal next to the house of Gopal Baroi. A few days earlier, in a separate BHBCOP
incident, a group of men entered the temple in the home of another
Hindu man, Mr. Das, destroyed stone images of Goddess Kali, and
stole several items from the temple, including gold ornaments.
6. Village - Bargaowala Land-Grab/Attack: A group of Muslim fundamentalists illegally Bhorer

Upazilla - Mollarhat occupied land owned by Sharat Chandra Biswas 10 days after his Kagoj
District - Bagerhat death, and evicted his family from the property. The 7/1/08
fundamentalists tried to kill the family when they attempted to BHBCOP
recover their property.
7. Village - Paschim Land-Grab: Despite a court order, a group of Muslims are trying to Prathom
Bagdha illegally occupy land owned by Mr. Manik Lal Samadder, Special Alo
Upazilla - Agoiljhara Assistant of the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh Government. 9/3/08
District - Barisal BHBCOP
8. Village - Sahebabad Attack/Looting: A gang of 15-20 men attacked the home of Paritosh Jugantor
Upazilla - Kaliakoir Chandra Sarker, damaged images of Deities, and stole more than 9/3/08
District - Gazipur 10,000 taka worth of goods. After leaving Paritosh’s house, the men BHBCOP
then attacked the homes of Taruni Chandra Sarker and Maran
Chandra Sarker.
9. Village - Dadrajonti Murder/Attack/Looting: A group of 20-25 men broke into the home Sangbad

Upazilla - Sadar of Putul Mandal and started attacking his son, Palash. When he tried 9/4/08
District - Joipurhat to intervene and protect his son, the attackers killed him, and stole BHBCOP
more than one lakh taka worth of valuables, including cash and gold
ornaments. Palash was admitted into the hospital in critically injured
condition.
10. Raibahadurpara Temple Attack: A group of unidentified men attacked a 100 yr-old Jugantor
District - Noakhali Kali Temple and destroyed images of Kali and other Deities. Five 9/5/08
people were injured in the attack when they tried to resist. The BHBCOP
same men also attacked the temple a few days earlier while a
religious program was taking place.
11. Upazilla - Temple Attack/Looting: A group of Muslim extremists attacked a Janokantha

Sonargaon number of devotees at the Sree Sree Lokenath Brahmacharee 9/5/08
District -Narayangang Ashram. Fifteen people were injured in the attack, including Popi BHBCOP
Rani Saha, Rony Saha, and Mridul Saha. The attackers also stole
three gold chains, 10,000 taka in cash and 4 mobile phone sets.
These types of attacks have been common at the ashram, which
attracts devotees from all over the country.
12. Village - Tikary Sexual Assault: Krishna Rani, a young Hindu girl, was sexually Inquilab
Upazilla - Sadar molested by a group of fundamentalists. The girl later commmited 9/6/08
District - Jheneidah suicide. The incident has caused widespread anger in the local BHBCOP
Hindu community.
13. Upazilla - Sadar Murder: A group of unidentified extremists brutally murdered Bimal Bhorer
District - Pabna Kumar Sarker, a Hindu teacher of Kuchiamora Government Primary Kagoj
School. Police later recovered his dead body from a pond. The 8/9/08
murder has caused fear amongst minorities in the area. BHBCOP
14. Village - Lokhapur Temple Attack: Muslim extremists attacked the Lakahapur Durga Samokal
Upazilla - Fakirhat Temple and threw away six images of Deities, including that of 9/8/08
District - Bagerhat Goddess Durga. Several devotees were physically assaulted, and BHBCOP
some women were molested.
15. Village - Chhlachhara Property Damage: A group of men cut the roots of 3000 betel leaf Prathom
Upazilla - Kulaura plants on land owned by 250 tribal families, affecting their sole Alo
District -Moulavibazar source of income. 9/12/08
BHBCOP
16. Village - Khalishkhali Attack/Looting: A gang of 20-30 armed and men entered into the Bhorer
Upazilla -Patkelghata homes of Ranajit Aich, Amoresh Aich and Gopal Aich, physically Kagoj
District - Satkhira assaulted the residents, and stole (at gunpoint) 50,000 taka in cash, 9/12/08
13 grams of gold ornaments, and other valuables. They also BHBCOP
damaged the homes before leaving. A few days earlier, a similar
incident took place at the home of Bejoy Aich in the same area. The
victims were specifically targeted because they were Hindus.
17. Upazilla - Barolekha Sexual Assault/Attack: A Muslim boy tried to rape a 15 yr old tribal Bhorer
District -Moulavibazar girl in her home, while her family was away. The girl resisted and hit Kagoj
her attacker on the head, leading the Muslim boy’s father and 9/14/08
relatives to attack the girl’s home.

18. Village - Madla Land-Grab/Attack/Intimidation: A Muslim fundamentalist (and Janokantho
Upazilla - Sajahanpur leader of Jamat) has forcibly occupied 15.5 decimals of land owned 9/14/08
District - Bogra by Swapan Kumar Kundu. Swapan’s family is also being intimidated BHBCOP
and harassed.
19. Kirttoniapara Temple Attack/Looting: A group of unidentified men damaged five Janokantho
Upazilla - Boalmari images of Deities in the sarbojaneen Radha-Gobinda Temple and 9/15/08
District - Faridpur stole several valuables from the temple. BHBCOP
20. Nannar Bazar Attack/Looting: A group of men attacked the local tribal community, Janokantho
Upazilla - Dhamrai damaging their homes, assaulting several people, and stealing their 9/16/08
District - Dhaka valuables. 20 people were serisouly injured in the attack. BHBCOP
21. Upazilla - Tongi Kidnapping: A group of Muslim fundamentalists abducted a 12 yr old Janokantho
District - Gazipur Hindu boy, Swadesh Kumar Nath, and demaned of 3 lakh taka for his 9/16/08
release. BHBCOP
22. Upazilla - Sadar Attack/Looting: A group of Muslims attacked a saloon owned by Titu Sangbad
District - Sunamganj Ghosh after he refused to pay 10,000 taka. The attackers damaged 9/16/08
the saloon extensively, beat up its employees, and stole more than
40,000 taka worth of goods.
23. Village - Mannar Land-Grab/Intimidation: A group of men threatened to kill Dulal Pal, Jugantor
Upazilla - Dhamrai after he tried to recover his illegally occupied property. 9/18/08
District - Dhaka BHBCOP
24. Kathmara Bazar Temple Attack: A group of Muslim fundamentalists attacked images Jugantor
Upazilla - Paikgachha being built for the Durga Festival at the sarbojaneen temple. The 9/20/08
District - Khulna incident caused widespread resentment amongst the local Hindu BHBCOP
community.
25. Village - Temple Attack/Looting: A group of unidentified men stole four Samokal
Shobharampur images of Deities made of astodhatu from the local Radha-Gobinda 9/20/08
Upazilla - Sadar temple. The images Deities were decorated with gold ornaments, BHBCOP
District - Faridpur and were worth 50,000 taka.
26. Upazilla -Sreemangal Land-Grab: A Muslim man and his brothers illegally occupied 6 acres Janokantho
District - Moulvibazar of land owned by 11 tribals through forged documents (with the 9/20/08
assistance of employees of the land settlement office. BHBCOP
27. Upazilla - Singair Temple Attack: A group of unidentified men attacked a temple in Janokantho
District - Manikganj the house of Nitai Talukder, and damaged the image of Viswakarma. 8/20/08
Four people were seriously injured in the incident. BHBCOP
28. Arabpur Temple Attack: A group of fundamentalists attacked the local Kali Samokal
Upazilla - Sadar Temple of the Rhishi community in Mathpara, and damaged the 9/22/08
District - Jessore image of Kali.
29. Mograbazar Temple Attack: Unidentified men broke into the Sree Sree Trinath Pratom Alo
Upazilla - Akhaura Temple and damaged the image of Trinath. 9/24/08
District -Brahmanbaria BHBCOP
30. District - Chittagong Kidnapping: A group of fundamentalists abducted Shibu Seal and Ittefaque
demanded a ransom of 50 lakh taka for his release. 9/25/08
BHBCOP

31. Village - Nagshosha Kidnapping/Intimidation: A Muslim college professor along with Jugantor
Upazilla - Lalpur another man abducted Sunita Rani Mandal, a Hindu college student. 9/25/08
District - Natore When her father, Shyamal Kumar Mandal, registered a police case, BHBCOP
he began receiving death threats from the abductors.
32. Baddinathtola Temple Attack: A group of Muslim extremists damaged several Sangbad
Upazilla - images of Durga, at the Baddinathtola Temple, being created for 9/25/08
Kotchandpur Durgotsob (a Hindu regiligious festival). BHBCOP
District - Jheneidaha
33. Village - Kachugora Attack/Looting: A gang of unidentified men entered into the home Sangbad
Upazilla -Kolmakanda of Narayan Chandra Pal, a Hindu banker, and attacked a servant 9/28/08
District - Netrokona with sharp weapons. They also stole 70,000 taka and 50 grams of BHBCOP
gold ornaments.
34. Sahapara Temple Attack: A group of fundamentalists damaged several images Samokal
Upazilla - Sadar of Durga at the Sahapara Sarbojaneen Temple being created for 9/28/08
District - Gopalganj Durgotsob (Hindu religious festival). BHBCOP
35. Village - Behala Attack/Intimidation: Two hundred Hindu families in a Hindu village Prathom
Upazilla - Amtoli are being continuously terrorized by the Sohrab Bahini (a militia). Alo
District - Barguna 9/28/08
36. Upazilla - Sadar Temple Attack: Unidentified men attacked the Naopara Sarbojaneen Samokal
District - Narsingdi Temple of Madhabdi and damaged several images of Durga being 9/29/08
created for Durgotsob. The attackers then attacked the adjoining
Shitola Temple of Sentu Mitra and damaged images of Goddess
Shitola.
37. Village - Ettampur Temple Attack: Unidentified men attacked the Thakurbari Durga Prathom
Upazilla - Kumarkhali Temple and damaged several images of Durga being created for Alo
District - Kushtia Durgotsob. 9/29/08
BHBCOP
38. Village - Pollghat Temple Attack: Unidentified men attacked the Pollghat Sarbojaneen Prathom
Upazilla - Sadra Temple and damaged two images of Deities. Alo
District - Bagerhat 9/29/08
39. Kauria Para Attack/Looting: A gang of 10-12 armed men broke into the homes of Sangbad
Upazilla - Sadar several Hindus, including Suresh Sutradhar, Chitra Baul, Pradip Baul 9/29/08
District - Narsingdi and Shanti Baul, and stole several valuables worth more than three
lakhs taka. Three people were severely injured in the incident.
Seven days earlier, similar incidents occurred in four homes of the
same village.
The above data was provided by BHBCOP.

Appendix C
cdi
Islamic Extremist Groups in South Asia
People’s Republic of Bangladeshcdii
Militant Organization Description

Islamist political party that was part of the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) coalition
that came to power in the 2001 election, and was
Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) involved in violent attacks on Hindu supporters of
the opposition Awami party; Its ultimate goal is to
create an Islamic state in Bangladesh.
Youth wing associated with JeI, and has contact with

Muslim youth extremist groups around the world.
ICS has been involved in political and religious
Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) violence, and has been implicated in a number of
bomb blasts throughout Bangladesh; Islami also
controls a number of madrasas across the country.
Small Islamist party, and was also part of the BNP

coalition government; Has supported violence
Islami Oikyo Jote (IOJ)
against Hindus.
JMB has been implicated in a number of suicide

Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh bomb blasts across Bangladesh; A number of its
(JMB) leaders were previously affiliated with JeI and ICS.
Largest militant Muslim organization operating in

Bangladesh, and has an estimated 15,000 members,
Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI-B) recruited primarily from madrasas; Involved in a
number of attacks.
Appendix C 122 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

Islamic Republic of Pakistancdiii
Militant Organization Description

Islamic extremist group trying to establish Islamic
rule in Pakistan through violence; Accession of the
Harakat-ul-Jihad-ul-Islami (HuJI) Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan;
Spread terror throughout India; Has affiliate in
Bangladesh (HuJI-B)
Rejects democracy of even the most Islamic-

oriented style; Establish Sharia law; Accession of the
Jundallah Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan
Accession of Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to

Pakistan; Radical Islamist state in Pakistan;
Khuddam ul-Islam “Destroy” India and the U.S.
Violently transform Pakistan into a Sunni state

under the complete control of Sharia law; Declare
all Shia as kafirs (infidels), and responsible for
several attacks on Shias; Destruction of other
Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ) religions, notably Hinduism, Judaism, and
Christianity; Its leader is Muhammad Ajmal, alias
Akram Lahori; The group has links to SSP, Taliban,
HuM, JeM, Al Qaeda
Violently transform Pakistan into a Sunni state

under the complete control of Sharia law; Declare
all Shia as kafirs (infidels), and responsible for
Sipah-e Sahab Pakistan (SSP) several terrorist attacks on Shia civlians; Destruction
of other religions, notably Hinduism, Judaism, and
Christianity; SSP has links to LeJ, HuM, Taliban, JeM,
JeI, and JuI; Its leader is Maulana Mujibur Rehman
Inqilabi
Targets Indian troops, civilians in the Indian state of

Jammu and Kashmir, and Western interests;
Harkat ul-Mujahidin (HuM) Masterminded the Kandahar hijacking of an Indian

Previously known as Harkat-ul- airlines in Dec. 1999
Ansar
Stated goal is the accession of the Indian state of

Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan and to take
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) control of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Amritsar &
(Army of Mohammed) Delhi; Targets include Indian government/political
leaders, and civilians; Has links to HuM, Pakistan’s
Inter-Services Intelligence, Taliban, Al Qaeda &
several Sunni groups like SSP & LeJ; Its leader:
Maulana Masood Azhar
Stated goal is to restore Islamic rule over India, take

control of Kashmir, and unionize the Muslim regions
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) in countries that surround Pakistan; Considers India,
(Army of the Righteous) Israel & the U.S. prime enemies; Attacks primarily in
J&K and other parts of India, including the recent
terror attacks in Mumbai; Operates under the
charity of Jamaat-ul-Dawa; Has links to Inter-
Services Intelligence, Taliban, Al Qaeda, Al
Muhajiraun, International Sikh Youth Federation &
various international Islamist terrorist groups; Its
leader is Hafiz Muhammad Saeed
A loose coalition of terrorist organizations: LeT,

Lashkar-e-Omar (LeO) JeM, and LeJ; Believes in Islamic fundamentalism
(Army of Omar) and fascism, hatred towards the West; Carried out
attacks against Western targets and non-Muslims
Shia extremist group whose goal is to create a

society based on “pure Islam” and protect the
social, political & religious rights of Shiites; Also
Tehreek-e-Jaferia Pakistan (TJP) claims to fight against imperialism, and obtain
Islamic egalitarianism & social justice; Has links to
Pakistani Parliament & Iranian clergy; Its leader is
Allama Syed Sajid Ali Naqvi
An extremist group whose goal is the militant

enforcement of Islamic law (totalitarianism view),
Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e- and transform Pakistan into a “Taliban style”
Mohammadi country; It operates most of Swat Valley &
neighboring districts, and has links to the Taliban;
Its leader is Maulana Fazalullah

Small terrorist group whose members are Mohajirs
(Muslims who left India in 1947); Its stated goal is to
protect the rights of Mohajirs, and operates
Nadeem Commando primarily in Karachi and Hyderabad; Terror tactics
include random shootings of selected targets &
staging violent incidents during political strikes; It
has links to Muttahida Quami Movement Altaf
(MQM-A)
Shia extremist group, whose goal is to protect the

Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan Shiite community from Sunni extremist groups; Has
(SMP) links with Shia regime in Iran; Its leader is Ghulam
Raza Naqvi and it is a rival of LeJ
“Army of Muhammad”
Its goal is to advocate the secession of all Baluch
Popular Front for Armed regions from Pakistan; also involved in drug
Resistance trafficking; Has links to Taliban
An umbrella group consisting of, “all the rightwing

organizations including LeJ.” Its stated goal is to
Muslim United Army organize groups against America and to launch a
war against anti-Islam forces & non-Muslims; Its
leader is Sheikh Ahmed

i
Das. Subhamoy. “Hindu Population in India.” About.Com: Hinduism.
http://hinduism.about.com/library/weekly/extra/bl-population1.htm
ii
“Hindu American Foundation Releases First-Ever Annual Survey of Hindu Human Rights.” Hindu
American Foundation. July 13, 2005.
http://www.hinduamericanfoundation.org/media_press_release_hhr_2004.htm
iii
“Pakistan.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan
iv
“Hinduism in Pakistan.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_Pakistan
v
“Pakistan Supports Terrorists Rebels in Kashmir.” Hon. Bill McCollum of Florida in the House of
Representatives. June 22, 1994. http://www.kashmir-
information.com/Miscellaneous/Pak_terrorism.html; Anderson, John W. "Pakistan Aiding Rebels in
Kashmir." Washington Post. May 16, 1994.
vi
“Second Annual Hindu Human Rights Report Released on Capitol Hill.” Hindu American Foundation.
http://hafsite.org/media_press_release_hhr2005_release.htm
vii
"Bangladesh." CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bg.html
viii
"Bangladesh: Partial Lifting of Ban on Politics Falls Far Short." Human Rights Watch. September
12,2007. http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/09/11/bangla16851.htm
ix
Id.
x
“Bangladesh: Elections Present Risks and Opportunities for Human Rights,” Amnesty International,
December 23, 2008. http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGASA130112008&lang=e
xi
Bangladesh Human Rights Report 2008, Global Human Rights Defence.
http://www.ghrd.org/FilesPage/3343/GHRDReport2008ver5.pdf
xii
“Crisis in South Asia.” Report by Senator Edward Kennedy to the Subcommittee Investigating the
Problem of Refugees and Their Settlement. Submitted to U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. November 1,
1971. U.S. Government Press, pp. 6-7.
xiii
Rabindranath Trivedi. "The Legacy of the Plight of Hindus in Bangladesh." The Asian Tribune.
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/6663
xiv
"Amnesty Calls for Bangladesh 'Truth Commission.'" Amnesty International. January 10, 2008.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gHGjAp7AJxxfqwv2ZRXR7RCgToOw
xv
“Bangladesh Parliament Votes to make Islam State Religion.” The New York Times. June 8, 1988,
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE5D71530F93BA35755C0A96E948260
126 © Hindu American Foundation 2009

xvi
“Bangladesh: Discrimination and Displacement of Religious Minorities.” Refugees International. August
8, 2003. http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/891/; “Bangladesh: Minorities
Increasingly at Risk of Displacement.” Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. March 28, 2006.
www.internal-displacement.org
xvii
Nazrul Islam. “10,000 incidents of minority repression in Bangladesh since 2001.” NewKerala.com.
October 12, 2005. http://www.newkerala.com/newsdaily.php?action=fullnews&id=34363; "Over 10,000
Communal Tortures in Govt's 4yr." The Daily Star. October 11, 2007.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/10/11/d51011011310.htm
xviii
“Bangladesh: Discrimination and Displacement of Religious Minorities.” Refugees International. August
8, 2003. http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/891/
xix
xx
C. Tannock, “Bangladesh’s drift into chaos.” Daily Times. July 21, 2005.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_21-7-2005_pg3_5
xxi
World Report 2007: Bangladesh. Human Rights
Watch. http://hrw.org/englishwr2k7/docs/2007/01/11/bangla14864.htm
xxii
"Assessment for Hindus in Bangladesh." Center for International Development & Conflict Management.
December 31, 2000. http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/inscr/mar/assessment.asp?groupId=77102
xxiii
Saleem Samad, an Ashoka Fellow (USA) is a journalist, press watchdog and correspondent of Paris-
based Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), Paris, Special Correspondent of Bangladesh Observer and Daily
Times (Lahore).
xxiv
“Bangladesh: Minorities Increasingly at Risk of Displacement.” Internal Displacement Monitoring
Centre. March 28, 2006. www.internal-displacement.org
xxv
S.K. Datta, “The Recent Plight of Minorities in Bangladesh: A Post-election Perspective.” Paper
presented by the former Director, Central Bureau of Investigation, India at an international seminar
organized by the Centre for Research in Indo-Bangladesh Relations, Kolkata, January 28, 2002;
Bangladesh: International Religious Freedom Report 2007. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor. Department of State. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90226.htm
xxvi
"Communal Attack and Repression on Minority." Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad
January – June 2007. http://www.bhbcop.org/bulletin
xxvii
xxviii
2008 Annual Report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Other Countries on
the Commission’s CPC List: Bangladesh, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
http://www.uscirf.gov/images/AR2008/bangladesh.pdf

xxix
Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad. http://www.bhbcop.org/
xxx
Atrocities on Minorities, Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad, January – September
2008. http://www.bhbcop.org/bulletin/atrocity.html
xxxi
Id.
xxxii
Id.
xxxiii
Id.
xxxiv
"Communal Attack and Repression on Minority”; "Terrorists Torch Fifty Houses of Minority
Community of Dinajpur District." January 9, 2007. Bangladesh: Report of Repression Against Bangladesh
Minorities for the Month of January 2007 from National Dailies. Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh
Minorities. http://www.hrcbm.org
xxxv
xxxvi
Id.
xxxvii
Id.
xxxviii
Lundstrom, Jenny. With Intent to Destroy? Rape as Genocide Under International Criminal Law. Lund
University: Global Human Rights Defense. http://www.hrtribune.com/report/Thesis_Jenny3.pdf
xxxix
Id.
xl
Id.
xli
xlii
Id.
xliii
Information was received from Advocated .Rabindra Ghosh, Founder President of Bangladesh Minority
Watch (BDMW), 12, K. M. Das Lane, Tikatully, Sutrapur PS, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The incident was also
reported in Janakanta, a Bengali language newspaper, on December 8, 2008.
xliv
xlv
xlvi
Haroon Habib. "Repeal of Act Brings No Relief to Hindu Families." The Hindu. May 5, 2007.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/27/stories/2007052702291100.htm
xlvii
Id.

xlviii
Id.
xlix
l
Id.
li
Id.
lii
“10,000 Hindus Fear Eviction in Mirpur, Bangladesh,” The Daily Star. June 7, 2007. http://www.thedaily
star.net/ 2007/06/06/ d70606011811. htm. Reproduced in Quandary Reflection (Publication by HRCBM).
Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities, June 7,
2007. http://quandaryreflection.blogspot.com/2007/06/10000-hindus-fear-eviction-in-mirpur.html
liii
liv
“Fresh Land Grabbing and Bengali Settlement Programme Continued in CHT.” Human Rights Congress
for Bangladesh Minorities. http://hrcbm.org/news/news-cht-landgrab.html
lv
Fresh Land Grabbing and Bengali Settlement Programme Continued in CHT,” Human Rights Congress for
Bangladesh Minorities. http://hrcbm.org/news/news-cht-landgrab.html
lvi
“Bangladesh: Minorities Increasingly at Risk of Displacement,” Internal Displacement Monitoring
lvii
lviii
Id.
lix
Atrocities on Minorities, Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad, January – June 2007.
http://www.bhbcop.org/bulletin/atrocity.html
lx
Bertil Lintner. "Bangladesh Extremist Islamist Consolidation" South Asia Terrorism Portal.
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/publication/faultlines/volume14/Article1.htm
lxi
The Constitution of The People's Republic Of Bangladesh. Article 11. Chief Adviser's Office, Government
of The People's Republic of Bangladesh. http://www.pmo.gov.bd/constitution/index.htm
lxii
Id., Article 28,31.
lxiii
Id., Article 41.
lxiv
"Ratification of International Human Rights Treaties - Bangladesh." University of Minnesota
Human Rights Library. http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/research/ratification-bangladesh.html
lxv
"International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights," G.A. res. 2200A (XXI), 21 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No.
16) at 52, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (1966), 999 U.N.T.S. 171, entered into force Mar. 23, 1976. University of
Minnesota Human Rights Library. http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/b3ccpr.htm

lxvi
Id., Article 18.
lxvii
Id., Article 27.
lxviii
"Selected International and Regional Human Rights Treaties." Amnesty International Report
2007. http://thereport.amnesty.org/document/2; "International Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Racial Discrimination," G.A. res. 2106 (XX), Annex, 20 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 14) at 47, U.N. Doc.
A/6014 (1966), 660 U.N.T.S. 195, entered into force Jan. 4, 1969. University of Minnesota Human Rights
Library. http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/d1cerd.htm
lxix
Id., Article 2.
lxx
“MPs condemn Religious Extremism in Bangladesh.” OneWorldUK.
http://uk.oneworld.net/article/view/122831/1/5354
lxxi
“Hindus in Bangladesh, Pakistan & Kashmir: a Survey of Human Rights, 2004.” Hindu American
Foundation. Tampa, 2004. http://hinduamericanfoundation.org/HHR2004.pdf; Second Annual Hindu
Human Rights Report Released on Capitol Hill. June 27, 2006.
http://hafsite.org/media_press_release_hhr2005_release.htm
lxxii
Atrocities on Minorities, Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad, January – June 2007.
http://www.bhbcop.org/bulletin/atrocity.html
lxxiii
"Bhutan," CIA World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bt.html
lxxiv
Andrea Matles Savada (ed.). Bhutan: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress.
1991. http://countrystudies.us/bhutan/19.htm
lxxv
“Bhutan,” Supra Note i.
lxxvi
“Refugees and Bhutan's Security.” Kathmandu Post. January 05, 2001.
http://www.geocities.com/articlesonbhutan/foreign_pages/refugeeandbhutan.htm
lxxvii
Center for Protection of Minorities and Against Racism and Discrimination in Bhutan.
http://www.geocities.com/cemardbhutan/; Bhutanese Refugees: One Nation. One People.
http://www.geocities.com/bhutaneserefugees/onenation.html
lxxviii
Subir Bhaumik, “Main Bhutan Election Date is Set,” BBC, January 17, 2008,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7193818.stm
lxxix
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Annual Report, 2006, Chapter 5, Box 5.2.
lxxx
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Annual Report 2006, Chapter 5, Box 5.2, 116
lxxxi
Amnesty International Press Release on Bhutan, March 17, 2008. http://www.amnesty.org
lxxxii
Bhutan, International Religious Freedom Report 2008, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
State Department, September 19, 2008. http://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108499.htm

lxxxiii
Id.
lxxxiv
Human Rights Watch, September 2007, http://hrw.org/backgrounder/crd/2007/bhutan1007/; “U.S.
Clarifications on the Bhutanese refugees,” Asian Centre for Human Rights, May 23, 2007,
http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2007/168-07.htm
lxxxv
“Fire wrecks refugee camp in Nepal,” BBC News, March 3, 2008.
lxxxvi
“U.S. resettlement offer divides Bhutanese refugees.” International Herald Tribune. May 17, 2007.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/17/asia/AS-GEN-Nepal-Bhutanese-Refugees.php; UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Annual Report 2006, Chapter 5, Box 5.2, 117.
lxxxvii
“Bhutanese Refugees: One Nation, One People.”
http://www.geocities.com/bhutaneserefugees/onenation.html
lxxxviii
Center for Protection of Minorities and Against Racism and Discrimination in Bhutan.
http://www.geocities.com/cemardbhutan/
lxxxix
The Constitution of Bhutan, http://www.constitution.bt/index.htm
xc
“U.S. Clarifications on the Bhutanese refugees,” Asian Centre for Human Rights, May 23, 2007,
http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2007/168-07.htm
xci
“Nepal/Bhutan: Donors Called on to Resolve Protracted Refugee Problem,” Human Right Watch.
February 9, 2006. http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/02/09/bhutan12647_txt.htm.
xcii
“Fiji.” CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-
world-factbook/geos/fj.html
xciii
Id.
xciv
U.S. Department of State. International Religious Freedom Report 2006.
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/73065.htm
xcv
“Hinduism in Fiji.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_Fiji
xcvi
Id.
xcvii
“Fiji.” CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-
world-factbook/geos/fj.html
xcviii
“Letter to Interim Prime Minister…”, Human Rights Watch, February 05, 2007,
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/02/05/fiji15266.htm
xcix
“Sacrilege drops the faith,” Fiji Times Online, September 21, 2007,
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=70949
c
“Temple Torched to the Ground”, Fiji Times, May 11, 2008.

ci
“Suva Temple Broken Into,” Fiji Times http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?ref=archive&id=97442;
“Delainavesi Temple Broken”, Fiji Times, Sept 20, 2008. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=70922
cii
“Hunt for Temple Culprits,” Fiji Times, October 18, 2008
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=103688; “Temple Burned Down,” Fiji Times, October 6, 2008
ciii
United States. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Department of State. Country Reports
on Human Rights Practices: Fiji. March 6,. 2007. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78773.htm
civ
Constitution of the Sovereign Democratic Republic of Fiji, UNHCR. http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-
bin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain?docid=3ae6b57d8
cv
Embassy of India, Washington D.C., Map of Jammu and Kashmir showing Kargil,
http://www.indianembassy.org/new/Kargil/J&K_Map.html
cvi
“Jammu & Kashmir: A Profile.” Jammu and Kashmir Government,
http://jammukashmir.nic.in/profile/welcome.html
cvii
“Kashmiri Pandits Throw Their Hat in The Election Ring,” South Asia News, November 19, 2008.
http://www.southasianews.com/318638/Kashmiri-Pandits-throw-their-hat-in-the-election-ring-.htm
cviii
Subhash Kak, “The Poplar and the Chinar: Kashmir in a Historical Outline,” International Journal of
Indian Studies, Vol 3, 1993, pp. 33-61, reproduced at Kashmir News Network,
http://www.ikashmir.net/subhashkak/poplar.html
cix
Husain Haqqani, “Pakistan's Endgame in Kashmir,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, July
2003. http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1427
cx
Narendra Singh Sarila, “The Shadow of the Great Game: The Untold Story of India's Partition”, p. 314,
Carroll & Graf Publishers. 2006.
cxi
Husain Haqqani, “Pakistan's Endgame in Kashmir,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, July
2003. http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1427
cxii
Sumathi Subbiah, “Security Council Mediation and the Kashmir Dispute: Reflections on its Failures and
Possibilities for Renewal,” Boston College International and Comparative Law Review, Winter 2004.
cxiii
Id.
cxiv
Sunil Fotedar, Subodh Atal and Lalit Koul, “Living under the shadow of Article 370,” Kashmir Herald,
Volume 1, No. 8, January 2002, http://kashmirherald.com/featuredarticle/article370.html
cxv
“Article 370: Law and politics,” Frontline, September 16, 2000,
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1719/-17190890.htm

cxvi
Rajat Ganguly, “India, Pakistan, and the Kashmir Dispute,” Asian Studies Institute & Centre for Strategic
Studies,
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/asianstudies/publications/other/India%20Pakistan%20and%20the%20Kashmir
%20Dispute.pdf
cxvii
M. V. Kamath, “Will division of Kashmir solve the lingering dispute?” Free Press Journal, May 25, 2000.
cxviii
Prime Minister Secretariat of Azad Govt. of the State of Jammu and Kashmir,
http://www.pmajk.gov.pk/history.asp
cxix
Beersman, Paul, “The Kashmir-Issue: European Perspectives.” Belgian Association for Solidarity with
Jammu and Kashmir. http://www.basjak.org/doc/jkind081warikoo.pdf
cxx
Paul Beersmans, “Jammu and Kashmir: A Smouldering Conflict and a Forgotten Mission of the United
Nations,” Belgian Association for Solidarity with Jammu and Kashmir, January 2002,
http://www.basjak.org/doc/jkNutshell.pdf
cxxi
Id.
cxxii
Id.
cxxiii
“Panun Kashmir: A Homeland for Kashmiri Pandits,” Panun Kashmir, December 28, 1991,
http://www.panunkashmir.org/margdarshan.html
cxxiv
Husain Haqqani, “Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military”, p. 235. 2005, Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace.
cxxv
“Killing Hindus better than talks: Hafiz Saeed,” Daily Times, April 4, 2003.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_4-4-2003_pg8_4
cxxvi
David Rohde, “Concern rises in Pakistan of a War without End,” The New York Times, November 1,
2004; Haqqani, Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military, 2005.
cxxvii
“Amarnath Row Rocks Jammu and Kashmir,” A Series of Articles on the Amarnath Shrine Land
Dispute, Rediff India Abroad. http://www.rediff.com/news/amarnath08.html
cxxviii
Id.
cxxix
Excerpt from a report by Paul Beersman, President of the Belgian Association for Solidarity with
Jammu and Kashmir, presented to the UN Human Rights Council, 9th Session in Geneva, September 26,
2008. http://www.iakf.org/main/index.php?module=article&view=271
cxxx
“We are Losing Our Property in Kashmir: Pandits,” Rediff India Abroad, May 30, 2007,
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/may/30kashmir.htm; “Temples Destroyed in Kashmir by Islamic
Militancy to be Reconstructed,” Hindu Press International, July 25, 2006,
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/2006/7/27.shtml
cxxxi
Major Incidents of Terrorist Violence in Jammu and Kashmir, South Asia Terrorism Portal.
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/jandk/data_sheets/majorincidents.htm

cxxxii
Jamwal, Zorawar Sing, “Police Say They Foiled Attack in Indian Kashmir,”Yahoo News, December 23,
2008.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081223/ap_on_re_as/as_kashmir_terror_arrest;_ylt=AhLbSH63i8lYcCkDB
_v_zSkBxg8F
cxxxiii
South Asia Terrorism Portal
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/jandk/data_sheets/annual_casualties.htm. Data
includes incident as of December 23, 2008.
cxxxiv
cxxxv
cxxxvi
cxxxvii
R. Upadhayay, “J & K Trifurcation,” The Kashmir Telegraph, June 2002.
http://www.kashmirtelegraph.com/trifur.htm
cxxxviii
Id.
cxxxix
Trisal, Nishita, “Those Who Remain -- The Survival and Continued Struggle of the Kashmiri Pandit ‘Non-Migrants’”, The
Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies. 2007 Aug;5(3), reproduced at:
http://www.iakf.org/main/index.php?module=article&view=173
cxl
Id.
cxli
“The Definition of an Internally Displaced Person,” Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre,
http://www.internal-
displacement.org/8025708F004D404D/(httpPages)/CC32D8C34EF93C88802570F800517610?OpenDocum
ent
cxlii
K.P.S Gill, “The Kashmiri Pandits: An Ethnic Cleansing the World Forgot,” South Asia Terrorism Portal,
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/kpsgill/2003/chapter9.htm; “India: Large Numbers of IDPs are Unassisted
and in Need of Protection,” Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, http://www.internal-
displacement.org/8025708F004CE90B/(httpCountrySummaries)/82626CB2EB1759D9C12572C90029A4EF
?OpenDocument&count=10000; Kanchan Gupta, “19/01/90: When Kashmiri Pandits Fled Islamic Terror,”
Rediff India Abroad, January 19, 2005, http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/jan/19kanch.htm
cxliii
“India: Large Numbers of IDPs are Unassisted and in Need of Protection,” Internal Displacement
Monitoring Centre, http://www.internal-
displacement.org/8025708F004CE90B/(httpCountrySummaries)/82626CB2EB1759D9C12572C90029A4EF
?OpenDocument&count=10000

cxliv
“Kashmiri Pandits face serious health problems after many years of displacement (2001-2003),”
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, http://www.internal-
displacement.org/idmc/website/countries.nsf/(httpEnvelopes)/524255683B3EAB43802570B8005A7177?
OpenDocument
cxlv
“Displaced Kashmiri Pandits Cry Government Apathy,” Yahoo News India, August 16, 2007,
http://in.news.yahoo.com/070816/139/6jien.html
cxlvi
“India: Large Numbers of IDPs are Unassisted and in Need of Protection.”
cxlvii
“The Constitution of India,” Article 15, 21, http://www.constitution.org/cons/india/const.html
cxlviii
Id. See Article 38.
cxlix
“International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombing,” G.A. Res. 164, U.N. 1998,
University of Minnesota Human Rights Library,
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/terroristbombing.html; “International Convention for the
Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism,” G.A. Res. 109, U.N. 1999, University of Minnesota Human
Rights Library, http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/financingterrorism.html
cl
“Five Pak-based militant outfits banned in the UK,” Rediff India Abroad, October 14, 2005,
http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/oct/14terror.htm?q=np&file=.htm
cli
“U.S.–Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” Center for Defense Information, U.S. Department of
State, Office of Counterterrorism, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0908746.html
clii
“Status of Ratifications of the Principal International Human Rights Treaties,” Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, http://www.unhchr.ch/report
cliii
“International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” G.A. res. 2200A, 21 U.N. 1966, University of
Minnesota Human Rights Library, http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/b3ccpr.htm
cliv
“Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement,” Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre,
http://www.internal-
displacement.org/8025708F004D404D/(httpPages)/168DF53B7A5D0A8C802570F800518B64?OpenDocu
ment
clv
Id.
clvi
“Panun Kashmir: A Homeland for Kashmiri Pandits,” Panun Kashmir, http://www.panunkashmir.org/
clvii
Ananya Sengupta, “Pandit Plight, in Pictures,” The Telegraph, September 25, 2006,
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060925/asp/nation/story_6789636.asp
clviii
Department of Statistics: Malaysia,
http://www.statistics.gov.my/english/frameset_census.php?file=pressdemo
clix
Malaysia.” CIA World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency,
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/my.html

clx
“Ethnic Indian Leader Arrested in Malaysia,” The Times of India, November 29, 2007,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indians_Abroad/Ethnic_Indian_leader_arrested_in_Malaysia/articles
how/2580992.cms; “Scores Charged Over Hindu Rally,” BBC News, November 28, 2007,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7117251.stm ; “26 Indians charged with attempted murder in the
wake of banned rally in Malaysia,” International Herald Tribune, December 4, 2007,
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/04/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Indian-Unrest.php#end_main
“Malaysia Arrests Ethnic Indians,” BBC News, December 13, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-
pacific/7142506.stm
clxi
“Malaysia Arrests Ethnic Indians,” BBC News, December 13, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-
pacific/7142506.stm; “ISA Crackdown: 5 Hindraf Leaders Arrested,” Malaysiakini, December 13, 2007,
http://malaysiakini.com/news/75999
clxii
“Malaysian Police Break Up Rally.” BBC News. February 16, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-
pacific/7248183.stm; “Rose Protest: All But 9 Released.” Malaysiakini. February 16, 2008.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/78137; Sources of information are also based on reports from
Hindraf contacts on the ground in Malaysia.
clxiii
“Timeline: Malaysia,” BBC News, October 22, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-
pacific/country_profiles/1304598.stm.
clxiv
Malaysia.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Malaysia
clxv
Malaysian Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2008, Hindu Rights Action Force
(Hindraf).
clxvi
Amnesty International Statement on Recent ISA Arrest, Amnesty International, September 15, 2008.
http://www.aimalaysia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=290&Itemid=46
clxvii
“Malaysia Court Rejects Hindu Bid,” BBC News, December 27, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-
pacific/7161177.stm; “Malaysia: Hindu Loses Bid to Block Son’s Conversion, The New York Times,
December 28, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/28/world/asia/28briefs-
hindu.html?_r=2&ref=asia&oref=slogin&oref=slogin; “Hindu Woman’s Divorce Hopes Dashed,” The Times
of India, December 28, 2007,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indians_Abroad/Hindu_womans_divorce_hopes_dashed/articleshow
/2656998.cms
clxviii
“Top Islamic Body: Yoga is not for Muslims,” CNN News, November 22, 2008.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/22/malaysia.yoga.banned.ap/index.html
clxix
“Demolition of Hindu Temples Raises Tempers in Malaysia,” Malaysia News.Net, September 30, 2008.
http://www.malaysianews.net/story/413014.
clxx
Hindu Shrine Demolished in Malaysia Despite Ban Order, Yahoo News, December 3, 2008.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20081203/1248/twl-hindu-shrine-demolished-in-malaysia.html
clxxi
“100-yr-old Hindu temple razed in KL.” IBN Live. December 1, 2008.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/100yrold-temple-razed-in-malaysia/27478-2.html

clxxii
“Detained Without Trial: Abuse of Internal Security Act Detainees in Malaysia.” Human Rights Watch.
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2005/malaysia0905/index.htm
clxxiii
“Hindraf Declared Illegal.” The Star Online. October 15, 2008.
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/10/15/nation/20081015184431&sec=nation
clxxiv
“6 Year-Old ‘Protester’ Walks Free” The Straits Times, October 25, 2008.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/SE+Asia/Story/STIStory_294726.html; P.S. Suryanarayana,
“Hindraf Activists Arrested For Illegal Assembly” The Hindu,
http://www.hindu.com/2008/10/25/stories/2008102556471400.htm.
clxxv
“Malaysia: A Country for Old Men.” Asian Center for Human Rights. December 2008.
http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2008/219-08.html.
clxxvi
“Ethnic Indian hunger striker admitted to hospital.” Times of India. December 17, 2008.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indians_Abroad/Ethnic_Indian_hunger_striker_hospitalised/articlesh
ow/3851647.cms.
clxxvii
“Malaysian HC Rejects Bid to Free Hindraf Leaders,” Yahoo India News, September 9, 2008.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20080909/874/twl-malaysian-hc-rejects-bid-to-free-hin.html.
clxxviii
“Internal Security Act Used to Punish Human Rights Activists,” Amnesty International Press Release,
September 15, 2008.
http://www.aimalaysia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=291&Itemid=46
clxxix
“Malaysia Visa Policy ‘Tightened’.” BBC News. January 9, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-
pacific/7178794.stm
clxxx
Joseph Fernando. The position of Islam in the Constitution of Malaysia. Journal of Southeast Asian
Studies, June 2006.
clxxxi
“2007 Investment Climate Statement – Malaysia,” U.S. Department of State,
http://www.state.gov/e/eeb/ifd/2007/82336.htm
clxxxii
“Pakistan.” CIA World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency,
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pk.html
clxxxiii
“U.S. Aid Worker Killed in Pakistan,” BBC News, November 12, 2008.
clxxxiv
Husain Haqqani, “Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military,” Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace, 2005.
clxxxv
Mazzetti, Mark and Schmitt, Eric, “C.I.A. Outlines Pakistan Links with Militants,” New York Times, July
30, 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/world/asia/30pstan.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin;
Mazzetti, Mark and Schmitt, Eric, “Pakistanis Aided Attack in Kabul, U.S. Officials Say,” New York Times,
August 1, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/01/world/asia/01pstan.html?th&emc=th; Haven,

Paul, “Spanish Report Ties Pakistan Spy Agency to Taliban,” Yahoo News, October 1, 2008.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081001/ap_on_re_eu/eu_spain_pakistan_taliban
clxxxvi
Husain Haqqani. Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military. Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace. 2005.
clxxxvii
Husain Haqqani, “Islam’s Medieval Outposts,” Originally appeared in Foreign Policy.
November/December 2002, http://www.husainhaqqani.com/reforming/journal%20articles/1/1.htm
clxxxviii
“Census of Pakistan,” Government of Pakistan,
http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics/other_tables/pop_by_religion.pdf
clxxxix
A. Hasan, A. Zaidi, M. Younus. “Understanding Karachi: Planning and Reform for the Future.” City
Press, 1999.
cxc
“Pakistan.” International Religious Freedom Report. U.S. Department of State, 2004.
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41743.htm
cxci
Mariana Baabar and Amir Mir. “Many Hindus are Leaving Pakistan,” Outlook India, January 23, 2006.
http://www.outlookindia.com/fullprint.asp?choice=2&fodname=20060123&fname=Cover+Story&sid=1
cxcii
J. Grant Swank Jr. “Kidnap Hindu Girl, Force Marriage to Muslim: Pakistan,” The American Daily,
http://www.americandaily.com/article/10362; Mariana Baabar. “Sindh’s stolen brides,” Pakistan Today,
January 20, 2006. http://www.paktoday.com/sindh20.htm
cxciii
“Pakistani Bishop T. Nasir surrenders his Pakistani Nationality as a protest against extreme hate and
discrimination,” Pakistani Christian Post, August 7, 2006.
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/newsdetails.php?newsid=869
cxciv
“Pakistan: The Land of Religious Apartheid and Jackboot Justice.” A Report to the UN Committee
Against Racial Discrimination. August 2007, Asian Centre for Human Rights,
http://www.achrweb.org/reports/cerd/Pakistan-CERD2007.pdf; Roopa Bakshi. “Bonded Labour,” The-
South-Asian.com, November 2002, http://www.the-south-asian.com/Nov2002/Bonded_labour.htm
cxcv
“Pakistan: The Land of Religious Apartheid and Jackboot Justice.” A Report to the UN Committee
Against Racial Discrimination. August 2007, Asian Centre for Human Rights,
http://www.achrweb.org/reports/cerd/Pakistan-CERD2007.pdf
cxcvi
Freedom of Religion 2007, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. http://www.hrcp-web.org
cxcvii
“Conversion of Hindus to Islam Rampant in Pak,” Pakistan News Net, September 22, 2008.
http://www.pakistannews.net/story/409567
cxcviii
“Pakistan: The Land of Religious Apartheid and Jackboot Justice,” A Report to the UN Committee
Against Racial Discrimination, August 2007, Asian Centre for Human Rights,

cxcix
Id.
cc
Id. at 15
cci
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/
ccii
“Pakistan: The Land of Religious Apartheid and Jackboot Justice,” p. 15-20, A Report to the UN
Committee Against Racial Discrimination August 2007, Asian Centre for Human Rights,
cciii
Id.
cciv
Nirupama Subramanian, “A Killing That has Sparked Debate on Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan,” The
Hindu, May 3, 2008. http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/03/stories/2008050352561100.htm
ccv
“Pakistan: The Land of Religious Apartheid and Jackboot Justice,” p. 15-20, A Report to the UN
Committee Against Racial Discrimination August 2007, Asian Centre for Human Rights,
ccvi
Id.
ccvii
“Pakistan: A Hindu Worker is Lynched for Blasphemy as Punishment for
Loving a Muslim Girl,” Asian Human Rights Commission, April 23, 2008. http://www.ahrchk.net
ccviii
“Pakistan: Tension Grips Town Over Koran Burning,” Adnkronos International, July 17, 2008.
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2344863234
ccix
“100-year celebrations of the Caliph-ship of Ahmadiyya Community
Denying rights in the name of Islam?” Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, May 28, 2008.
http://www.hrcp-web.org/hrcpDetail_2.cfm?catId=181&catName=Factfinding
ccx
“Pakistan: USCIRF Decries Abuse of Blasphemy Laws, Apostasy Bill,” U.S. Commission for International
Religious Freedom, June 11, 2007,
http://www.uscirf.gov/mediaroom/press/2007/june/20070611Pakistan.html
ccxi
“Religion column in MRPs restored: Rashid,” Pak Tribune, March 22, 2005,
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?98755
ccxii
Fact Finding Report by Pastor Rafique Bhatti, Stephens Shaheed Foundation, www.ssfpakistan.com
ccxiii
2008 Annual Report of U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Other Countries on the
Commission’s CPC List: Pakistan, http://www.uscirf.gov/images/AR2008/pakistan.pdf
ccxiv
“Hindu Temple Converted into Auto Workshop,” Daily Times, May 3, 2008.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\05\03\story_3-5-2008_pg12_14; Rana, Yudhvir,
“100-Yr-old Temple in Pak Being Used as Auto Workshop,” Times of India, May 7, 2008.
http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/100-yr-
old_temple_in_Pak_being_used_as_auto_workshop/articleshow/3016680.cms

ccxv
Rana, Yudhvir, “100-Yr-old Temple in Pak Being Used as Auto Workshop,” Times of India, May 7, 2008.
http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/100-yr-
old_temple_in_Pak_being_used_as_auto_workshop/articleshow/3016680.cms
ccxvi
Jillani, Shahzad Shah, “Monara Mandir Being Used as Toilet: Caretaker.” Daily Times, May 13, 2008.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\05\13\story_13-5-2008_pg12_10
ccxvii
Khan, Afnan, “Only One Hindu Relic Left at Katas Raj Temple,” Daily Times, June 27, 2008.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\27\story_27-6-2008_pg13_7
ccxviii
ccxix
“Two Hindu pilgrims killed in Pakistani attack,” Reuters, May 29, 2006,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/159072.6; “Biggest Pilgrimage for Pak Hindus ‘Mata
Hinglaj’ Begins in Karachi,” The Cheers News Agency, April 21, 2008.
http://newsagency.thecheers.org/World-news/news_21172_Biggest-pilgrimage-for-Pak-Hindus-
%22Mata-Hinglaj%22-begins-in-Karachi.html
ccxx
ccxxi
“Police Fail to Recover Hindu Hostages,” The International News, January 29, 2008,
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=93529
ccxxii
“Hindu Boy Rescued from Pak Taliban in Mohmand Agency,” Afghanistan News Net, October 28, 2008
http://www.afghanistannews.net/story/423401
ccxxiii
Soumittra S. Bose, “City Hindu Kidnapped in Pakistan,” Times of India, December 11, 2008.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Nagpur_man_kidnapped_in_Pakistan/rssarticleshow/3820912.
cms
ccxxiv
“200 Hindu Women Looted at Jacobabad Temple, The International News, July 24, 2008.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=125966
ccxxv
“Three Die in Separate Incidents,” The International News, September 21,
2008http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=137026
ccxxvi
Miscarriage of Justice 2007, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, http://www.hrcp-web.org
ccxxvii
“Pakistan Christians ‘Go Missing,’”BBC News, December 23, 2008.
ccxxviii
“Pakistan: Women are the Main Victims of the ‘War on Terror.’” Asian Human Rights Commission.
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2008statements/1412/ “Pakistan: The Government’s
Policy of Appeasing Fundamentalists is Responsible for the Murder of a Female Minister,” Asian Human
Rights Commission, February 28,
2007, http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2007statements/935/

ccxxix
Jahangir, Asma, “Women’s Execution in Peshawar Worries HRCP,” Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan, August 21, 2008. http://www.hrcp-
web.org/hrcpList.cfm?ret=1&catId=180&catName=Press%20Releases
ccxxx
“Pakistan: Five Women Buried Alive, Allegedly by the Brother of a Minister,” Asian Human Rights
Commission, August 11, 2008. http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2008/2969/
ccxxxi
“Pakistan: Three More Women Allegedly Buried in Same Way as Five Women Buried in Balochistan,”
Asian Human Rights Commission, September 26, 2008.
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2008/3015/
ccxxxii
“Pakistan: The Human Rights Situation in 2006,” Asian Human Rights Commission,
http://material.ahrchk.net/hrreport/2006/Pakistan2006.pdf
ccxxxiii
Id.
ccxxxiv
“Barriers to Justice: Stop Violence Against Women in Pakistan Campaign,” Human Rights Watch,
http://hrw.org/campaigns/pakistan/justice.htm
ccxxxv
ccxxxvi
“Pakistan: Another Hindu Girl Forcibly Converted to Islam After Being Abducted,” Asian Human
Rights Commission, January 9, 2007, http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2158/
ccxxxvii
“Abduction of Hindus Rise in Sindh,” Deccan Chronicle on the Web, September 22, 2005,
http://www.deccan.com/Neighbours/
ccxxxviii
“Pakistan: Another Hindu Girl Forcibly Converted to Islam After Being Abducted,” Asian Human
Rights Commission, January 9, 2007, http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2158/
ccxxxix
“Abduction of Hindus Rise in Sindh,” Deccan Chronicle on the Web, September 22, 2005,
http://www.deccan.com/Neighbours/
ccxl
“HRCP Fact-Finding,” Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, January 28, 2007,
http://www.hrcpweb.org/archive_factfinding.cfm
ccxli
“BB Condemns Gang Rape of Hindu Women,” Pak Tribune, March 1,
2007, http://paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?170536
ccxlii
Id.
ccxliii
Id.
ccxliv
Ireland, Michael, “Christian girls sent to a shelter by the High Court in Pakistan after forced conversion
to Islam,” Assist News, July 29, 2008. http://www.assistnews.net
ccxlv

ccxlvi
South Asia Terrorism Portal, http://satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits.htm
ccxlvii
“HRCP Alarmed at threats to Peshawar NGOs,” Human Righs Commission of Pakistan, November 17,
2008. http://www.hrcp-web.org
ccxlviii
Toosi, Nahal, “Scenic Pakistani Valley Falls to Taliban Militants,” Yahoo News, December 29, 2008.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081230/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan_valley_of_fear
ccxlix
“Fact-finding into forced conversion of Christian by mean of threatening letters,” Human Rights
Commission of Pakistan, May 28, 2007. http://www.hrcp-
web.org/hrcpDetail_2.cfm?catId=181&catName=Factfinding
ccl
M Ilyas Khan, “Threatened Pakistan Schools Close,” BBC News, January 16, 2009.
ccli
Roopa Bakshi, “Bonded Labour,” The-South-Asian.com, November 2002, http://www.the-south-
asian.com/Nov2002/Bonded_labour.htm; “Bonded Labour in Pakistan,” Report Prepared for UN Economic
and Social Council, June 23-July 9, 1999, Anti-Slavery International,
http://www.antislavery.org/archive/submission/submission1999-08Pakistan.htm
cclii
“Report on Pakistan,” U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs,
http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/pakistan.htm
ccliii
“Bonded Labour in Pakistan,” Report Prepared for UN Economic and Social Council, June 23-July 9,
1999, Anti-Slavery International, http://www.antislavery.org/archive/submission/submission1999-
08Pakistan.htm
ccliv
“Chronology of Events Related to Bonded Labour in 2008,” Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
http://www.hrcp-web.org/hrcpDetail_cs.cfm?catId=209
cclv
“Report on Pakistan,” U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs,
http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/pakistan.htm
cclvi
“Bonded Labour in Pakistan,” Report Prepared for UN Economic and Social Council, June 23-July 9,
1999, Anti-Slavery International, http://www.antislavery.org/archive/submission/submission1999-
08Pakistan.htm
cclvii
Fact Finding Report by Pastor Rafique Bhatti, Stephens Shaheed Foundation, www.ssfpakistan.com
cclviii
“Justice Rana Bhagwandas appointed Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan,” March 22, 2007, Associated
Press of Pakistan.
http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6457&Itemid=2
cclix
cclx
Political Participation 2007, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, http://www.hrcp-web.org

cclxi
“Assessment for Hindus in Pakistan.” Minorities at Risk, University of Maryland.
http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/mar/assessment.asp?groupId=77004
cclxii
Id.
cclxiii
Wagar, Ali, “Hate Mongering Worries Minorities,” Daily Times, April 25, 2006.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C04%5C25%5Cstory_25-4-2006_pg7_26
cclxiv
Mir, Amir, “Primers of Hate,” Outlook India, October 10, 2005.
http://www.outlookindia.com/fullprint.asp?choice=2&fodname=20051010&fname=Pakistan+%28F%29&s
id=1
cclxv
“Hindu, Enemy of Islam,” Outlook India, October 10, 2005.
http://www.outlookindia.com/fullprint.asp?choice=2&fodname=20051010&fname=Pakistan+%28F%29&s
id=1
cclxvi
“Minorities Students Struggle with Arabic in State-Run Schools,” Daily Times, April 30, 2007,
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C04%5C30%5Cstory_30-4-2007_pg12_3
cclxvii
“The Constitution of Pakistan and Fundamental Rights,” Sustainable Development Policy Institute,
http://www.sdpi.org/know_your_rights/know%20you%20rights/The%20Constitution%20of%20Pakistan.h
tm
cclxviii
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/
cclxix
Id.
cclxx
Id.
cclxxi
Id.
cclxxii
Id.
cclxxiii
“International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” G.A. res. 2200A (XXI), 21 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No.
16) at 52, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (1966), 999 U.N.T.S. 171, University of Minnesota Human Rights Library,
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/b3ccpr.htm
cclxxiv
Id. Article 26 and 27.
cclxxv
Id. Article 32(2).
cclxxvi
“Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or
Belief,” G.A. res. 36/55, 36 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 51) at 171, U.N. Doc. A/36/684 (1981), University of
Minnesota Human Rights Library, http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/d4deidrb.htm
cclxxvii
“Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,” G.A. res. 34/180, 34
U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 46) at 193, U.N. Doc. A/34/46. 1981, University of Minnesota Human Rights Library,
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/e1cedaw.htm

cclxxviii
“Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women,” G.A. res. 48/104, 48 U.N. GAOR Supp.
(No. 49) at 217, U.N. Doc. A/48/49 (1993), University of Minnesota Human Rights Library,
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/e4devw.htm
cclxxix
“Slavery, Servitude, Forced Labour and Similar Institutions and Practices Convention of 1926,”
(Slavery Convention of 1926), 60 L.N.T.S. 253, University of Minnesota Human Rights Library,
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/f1sc.htm
cclxxx
“Abolition of Forced Labour Convention,” (ILO No. 105), 320 U.N.T.S. 291. 1959, University of
Minnesota Human Rights Library, http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/n2ilo105.htm
cclxxxi
“Freedom in the World 2004,” Freedom House, 2004.
cclxxxii
“Saudi Arabia.” CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html
cclxxxiii
Id.
cclxxxiv
Ali Al-Ahmad, NY Post: The Saudis Sham, Institute for Gulf Affairs, November 11, 2008.
http://www.gulfinstitute.org/artman/publish/media_articles/NY_Post_THE_SAUDIS_SHAM.shtml
cclxxxv
Aarts, Paul. Saudi Arabia in the Balance: Political Economy, Society, Foreign Affairs. New York: New
York University Press, 2006.
cclxxxvi
As’ad AbuKhalil. The Battle for Saudi Arabia: Royalty, Fundamentalism and Global Power. New York:
Seven Stories Press, 2003.
cclxxxvii
Commins, David. The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia. New York: Tauris, I.B, 2006.
cclxxxviii
U.S. State Department: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 2006 Report on
International Religious Freedom. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/
cclxxxix
Bernard Lewis. “The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years.” New York: Scribner, 1996.
ccxc
Deborah Gerner and Jillian Schwedler (ed.), Understanding the Contemporary Middle East. Boulder:
Rienner, 2003.
ccxci
U.S. Department of Energy - Top World Oil Net Exporters, 2005
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/topworldtables1_2.html
ccxcii
Aarts, Paul. Saudi Arabia in the Balance: Political Economy, Society, Foreign Affairs, New York: New
York University Press, 2006.
ccxciii
“Two women win in Saudi election.” BBC News. November 30, 2005.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4485308.stm
ccxcvi
Pascal Ménoret. The Saudi Enigma: A History. London: Zed Books, 2005.

ccxcvii
Frank Vogel. Islamic Law and Legal System: Studies of Saudi Arabia. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers,
2000.
ccxcviii
“Saudi Arabia: International Religious Freedom Report 2005.” U.S. State Department.
ccxcix
“Saudi Arabia.” Freedom House. http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=182
ccc
Human Rights Watch World Report 2009: Saudi Arabia. http://www.hrw.org/en/node/79258
ccci
“January 11, 2008: Saudi Arabia: USCIRF Calls on President Bush to Raise Religious Freedom Issues,”
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
http://www.uscirf.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1436&Itemid=1; The Crisis of
Religious Freedom in Saudi Arabia, The Hadi Al-Mutif Project for Human Rights, Institute for Gulf Affairs
http://www.gulfinstitute.org/attachments/Crisis_of_Religious_Freedom_KSA.pdf
cccii
The Crisis of Religious Freedom in Saudi Arabia, The Hadi Al-Mutif Project for Human Rights, Institute
for Gulf Affairs http://www.gulfinstitute.org/attachments/Crisis_of_Religious_Freedom_KSA.pdf
ccciii
Saudi Arabia, International Religious Freedom Report 2008, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108492.htm
ccciv
cccv
2008 Annual Report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Countries of
Particular Concern: Saudi Arabia. http://www.uscirf.gov/images/AR2008/saudi%20arabia.pdf
cccvi
2008 Report on International Religious Freedom - Saudi Arabia, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights,
and Labor, U.S. Department of State.
http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/topic,464db4f52,469f2d6e2,48d5cbf170,0.html
cccvii
cccviii
“Domestic Workers Abused Worldwide.” Human Rights Watch, July 2006.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/07/26/singap13804.htm
cccix
The Crisis of Religious Freedom in Saudi Arabia, The Hadi Al-Mutif Project for Human Rights, Institute
for Gulf Affairs http://www.gulfinstitute.org/attachments/Crisis_of_Religious_Freedom_KSA.pdf
cccx
cccxi
Human Rights Watch World Report 2009: Saudi Arabia. http://www.hrw.org/en/node/79258; “Bad
Dreams: Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia.” Human Rights Watch. July 2004.
http://hrw.org/reports/2004/saudi0704/

cccxii
Sherry, Virginia. “A Workers’ Hell in Saudi Arabia.” The South China Morning Post. July 24, 2004.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/07/24/saudia9159.htm
cccxiii
cccxiv
U.S. State Department: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 2006 Report on International
Religious Freedom, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/
cccxv
cccxvi
Labor. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108492.htm; 2008 Annual Report of the U.S. Commission
on International Religious Freedom, Countries of Particular Concern: Saudi Arabia.
http://www.uscirf.gov/images/AR2008/saudi%20arabia.pdf
cccxvii
”Saudi Textbooks Continue to Promote Intolerance of Other Religions,” VOA News/U.S. Fed News.
June 1, 2006, www.lexisnexus.com
cccxviii
U.S. State Department: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 2006 Report on International
Religious Freedom, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/
cccxix
Ali Al-Ahmad, NY Post: The Saudis Sham, Institute for Gulf Affairs, November 11, 2008.
http://www.gulfinstitute.org/artman/publish/media_articles/NY_Post_THE_SAUDIS_SHAM.shtml; The
Crisis of Religious Freedom in Saudi Arabia, The Hadi Al-Mutif Project for Human Rights, Institute for Gulf
Affairs http://www.gulfinstitute.org/attachments/Crisis_of_Religious_Freedom_KSA.pdf
cccxx
cccxxi
Human Rights Watch World Report 2009: Saudi Arabia. http://www.hrw.org/en/node/79258
cccxxii
“Saudi Arabia Executions Disproportionately Target Foreign Nationals,” Amnesty International,
October 14, 2008. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/saudi-arabia-executions-
target-foreign-nationals-20081014; Human Rights Watch World Report 2009: Saudi Arabia.
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/79258
cccxxiii
“Saudi Arabia Executions Disproportionately Target Foreign Nationals,” Amnesty International,
October 14, 2008. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/saudi-arabia-executions-
target-foreign-nationals-20081014
cccxxiv
“Saudi Arabia – Constitution.” The Saudi Network. http://www.the-saudi.net/saudi-arabia/saudi-
constitution.htm

cccxxv
“Freedom in the World 2009: Global Data,” Freedom House.
http://www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/fiw09/FIW09_Tables&GraphsForWeb.pdf
cccxxvi
The Economist. http://www.economist.com/index.html
cccxxvii
Transparency International. http://www.transparency.org/; “Human Development Report 2006.”
United Nations Development Project. http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/statistics/
cccxxviii
U.S. State Department: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 2006 Report on
International Religious Freedom. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/
cccxxix
“Sri Lanka.” CIA World Factbook.” Central Intelligence Agency.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ce.html
cccxxx
“Sri Lanka: Events of 2006.” Human Rights Watch.
http://hrw.org/englishwr2k7/docs/2007/01/11/slanka14837.htm
cccxxxi
“S Lanka truce end worries Norway,” BBC, January 3, 2008,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7169145.stm; “Recurring Nightmare: State Responsibility for
‘Dissappearances’ and Abductions in Sri Lanka.” Human Rights Watch. March 2008.
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2008/srilanka0308/; “Sri Lanka: Testimony Before the European Parliament
Committee on Development.” Human Rights Watch. June 5, 2007.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/06/05/slanka16204.htm
cccxxxii
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_Sri_Lanka
cccxxxiii
“Sri Lanka.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka; “Country
Study: Sri Lanka.” The Library of Congress. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/lktoc.html
cccxxxiv
S. J. Tambiah, “Buddhism Betrayed: Religion, Politics, and Violence in Sri Lanka (A Monograph of the
World Institute for Development Economics Research). University of Chicago Press, 1992.
cccxxxv
“Riots and pogroms in Sri Lanka.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riots_and_pogroms_in_Sri_Lanka
cccxxxvi
“Riots and pogroms in Sri Lanka.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riots_and_pogroms_in_Sri_Lanka
cccxxxvii
“Political war 1905.” Nitharsanam. http://www.nitharsanam.com/?page=political_war_1905; “The
struggle for independence.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sri_Lanka#Independence
cccxxxviii
“Thondaman’s bold gamble.” Frontline. http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1611/16110550.htm
cccxxxix
“Sri Lankan state sponsored colonisation schemes.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_state_sponsored_colonisation_schemes; “Colonisation and
Demographic Changes in the Trincomalee District and its Effects on the Tamil Speaking People.” University
Teachers for Human Rights – Sri Lanka. http://www.uthr.org/Reports/Report11/appendix2.htm; “Sri
Lanka Tamil Alienation.” Encyclopedia of the Nations. http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-

13257.html; “The War - One Year on: 11th June 1990-August 1991.” University Teachers for Human Rights
– Sri Lanka. http://www.uthr.org/Reports/Report8/chapter1.htm
cccxl
“Official Language policy: Sinhala only Act.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinhala_Only_Act
cccxli
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_riots_of_1958
cccxlii
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banning_of_Tamil_language_media_importation
cccxliii
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Jaffna_library;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Jaffna_library#endnote_3
cccxliv
“SRI LANKA: Human rights situation is much worse than 60 years ago.” Asian Human Rights
Commission. December 2008. http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2008statements/1801.
cccxlv
“Hindu Conference condemns Sri Lankan forces.” TamilNet. June 29, 1998.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=1691.
cccxlvi
“Buddhist monk desecrates Hindu temple in Colombo Sri Lanka.” Lanka Newspapers. December
2008. http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2008/9/32019.html
cccxlvii
“Hindu Priest Shot Dead in Eastern Sri Lanka.” Colombo Page.
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/November2773713CH.html
cccxlviii
“Jafna Bishop Urges SL President to Stop Bombardment,” Tamil Net, January 16, 2008.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=28010
cccxlix
“HR situation in Eastern Lanka deteriorating: HRW.” Hindustan Times. December 2008.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=92938d71-c0cd-46f4-
9b85-
9b444efaba4e&MatchID1=4855&TeamID1=6&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1223&PrimaryID=4
855&Headline='HR+situation+in+Lanka+deteriorating'
cccl
“Murder, abductions rise in 'liberated' Sri Lanka: rights group.” Google News. December 2008.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iER5IoqnfQwnKqOXFXa8XMZnRUkA.
cccli
“Analysis: Sri Lanka’s Child Soldiers.” BBC News. January 31, 2003.
ccclii
“UN: Sanction LTTE, Karuna Group for Child Soldiers.” Human Rights Watch. February 21, 2008.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/02/21/slanka18115.htm; Sri Lanka Timeline – Year 2007. South Asia
Terrorism Portal. http://satp.org/satporgtp/countries/shrilanka/timeline/2007.htm
cccliii
“Outrage Over Child Soldiers in Sri Lanka.” The Christian Science Monitor. November 29, 2006.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1129/p07s02-wosc.html; “Sri Lanka: Karuna Group Abducts Children for
Combat.” Human Rights Watch. January 24, 2007.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/01/24/slanka15141.htm

cccliv
“United States: Bush Signs Law on Child Soldiers: Measure to Prosecute Recruiters Abroad Puts
Commanders on Notice.” Human Rights Watch. March 2008.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/10/08/united-states-bush-signs-law-child-soldiers.
ccclv
“Sri Lanka Child Recruitment Deal.” BBC, December 2008.
ccclvi
Id. (Child Recruitment Article above)
ccclvii
“Recurring Nightmare: State Responsibility for ‘Disappearances’ and Abductions in Sri Lanka.” Human
Rights Watch. March 2008. http://www.hrw.org/reports/2008/srilanka0308/
ccclviii
“Sri Lanka: Spectre of Abductions by the Security Forces Officialy Admitted.” Asian Centre for Human
Rights. March 7, 2007. http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2007/157-07.htm
ccclix
“Recurring Nightmare: State Responsibility for ‘Dissappearances’ and Abductions in Sri Lanka.” Human
Rights Watch. March 2008. http://www.hrw.org/reports/2008/srilanka0308/
ccclx
“Top Sri Lankan Editor Shot Dead,” BBC News, January 8, 2009.
ccclxi
“Assaulted Sri Lankan Student Dies in Malaysia.” Colombo Page.
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/December1134827JV.html
ccclxii
“Lanka opposition Tamil MP Maheswaran shot dead.” Asian Tribune.
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/8953
ccclxiii
“Woman Raped in Vadamaraadchi.” Tamil Nation Online. December 2008.
http://www.tamilnation.org/indictment/rape/071228woman.htm
ccclxiv
“Q & A: Sri Lanka Crisis.” BBC. December 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2405347.stm
ccclxv
Sri Lankan government must act now to protect 300,000 displaced.” Amnesty International.
November 19, 2008. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/sri-lankan-government-must-
act-now-protect-300000-displaced-20081119.
ccclxvi
Sri Lankan government must act now to protect 300,000 displaced.” Amnesty International.
November 19, 2008. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/sri-lankan-government-must-
act-now-protect-300000-displaced-20081119.
ccclxvii
“ICRC Fear for Sri Lanka Civilians,” BBC News, January 16, 2009.
ccclxviii
“106 Civilians Detained in Colombo,” Tamil Net, January 7, 2009.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=27937
ccclxix
Sengupta, Somini, “Ethnic Divide Worsens as Sri Lanka Conflict Escalates,” New York Times, March 8,
2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/wolrd/asia/08lanka.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2

ccclxx
“Besieged, Displaced, and Detained, The Plight of Civilians in Sri Lanka’s Vanni Region,” Human Rights
Watch. http://www.hrw.org
ccclxxi
“Sri Lanka Urged to Free Reporter.” BBC. December 2008.
ccclxxii
“Sri Lanka urged to free reporter.” BBC. December 2008.
ccclxxiii
“The Constitution.” Official Website of the Government of Sri Lanka.
http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/CONTENTS.html
ccclxxiv
“Trinidad and Tobago.” CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/geos/td.html
ccclxxv
Jahajeedesi.com. http://www.jahajeedesi.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4319
ccclxxvi
“Trinidad and Tobago.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago
ccclxxvii
Sat Maharaj, “Ethnic Agenda in Caroni.” The Trinidad Guardian. November 30, 2006.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-11-30/sat.html
ccclxxviii
“Letters to the Editor.” The Trinidad Guardian. July 21, 2006,
http://www.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-07-21/letters.html
ccclxxix
Cupid, Karl E. "Tobago to Get Its First Hindu Mandir." Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. April 19, 2007.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,55704.html
ccclxxx
“Hindu Idols Desecrated in Trinidad and Tobago,” Yahoo News, August 8, 2008.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20080808/890/twl-hindu-idols-desecrated-in-trinidad-a.html
ccclxxxi
Id. Information was also provided by Ishaana Rambachan and on the ground sources.
ccclxxxii
“Trinidad Hindus win battle to broadcast FM radio station,” NRI Online, February 08, 2007,
http://www.nriol.com/content/snippets/snippet1104.asp
ccclxxxiii
ccclxxxiv
Sat Maharaj. Trinidad Guardian. August 2006
ccclxxxv
Answers.com. The Trinity Cross Judgment. http://www.answers.com/topic/peter-jamadar
ccclxxxvi
“Manning Named in NLCB Lawsuit,” Trinidad and Tobago’s Newsday, February 19,
2004http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,15430.html
ccclxxxvii
“Trinidad Hindus win battle to broadcast FM radio station,” NRI Online, February 08, 2007,
http://www.nriol.com/content/snippets/snippet1104.asp
ccclxxxviii

ccclxxxix
Sat Maharaj, Secretary-General of the Maha Sabha, Trinidad & Tobago.
Trinidad Guardian. June 8, 2006. http://www.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-06-08/sat.html
cccxc
Ramjeet, Oscar, “Trinidad Equality Council Alleges Discrimination in Land Distribution,” Caribbean Net
News, December 3, 2008.
http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/trinidad/trinidad.php?news_id=12621&start=40&category_id=17
cccxci
Minutes of the Senate, Trinidad and Tobago, March 08, 2005,
http://www.ttparliament.org/hansard/senate/2005/hs20050308.pdf
cccxcii
Sat Maharaj, “Ethnic Agenda in Caroni,” The Trinidad Guardian, November 30, 2006,
http://www.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-11-30/sat.html
cccxciii
David Singh, St. Augustine, Trinidad, in a letter to the Trinidad Guardian newspaper.
cccxciv
“Raksha Ban at School,” Trinidad Express, March 11, 2008.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161291478; State Department International
Religious Freedom Report on Trinidad and Tobago, 2008.
cccxcv
“Letters to the Editor.” The Trinidad Guardian. November 2, 2006.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/archives/2006-11-02/letters.html
cccxcvi
The Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
http://www.constitution.org/cons/trinidad.htm
cccxcvii
“Bangladesh - The Vested Properties Return Act, 2001.” Voice of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights
Network. http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF35.htm
cccxcviii
“Peace Process in Chittagong Hill Tracts.” South Asia Forum for Human Rights.
http://www.safhr.org/pdf/E_new2.pdf
cccxcix
Data includes attacks on Buddhists and Christians as well, although the vast majority of victims were
Hindus.
cdi
This list is not inclusive of all extremist groups in the subcontinent, but rather represents some of the
more significant and dangerous organizations operating in the region.
cdii
Bertil Lintner. "Bangladesh Extremist Islamist Consolidation" South Asia Terrorism Portal.
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/publication/faultlines/volume14/Article1.htm
cdiii
Data provided primarily by South Asia Terrorism Portal, which monitors terrorism in South Asia.
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits/group_list.htm

www.HAFsite.org
5268G Nicholson Lane #164
Kensington, MD 20895

Hindu Human Rights 2008 Report

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Hindu Human Rights 2008 Report

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

HINDUS IN SOUTH ASIA AND THE DIASPORA:

A Survey of Human Rights 2008

HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION

“Religious persecution may shield itself under

“Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora:

Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)

Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA)

Mihir Meghani, M.D.

Nikhil N. Joshi, Esq., M.B.A.

Aseem R. Shukla, M.D.

Managing Director and Legal Counsel

Suhag A. Shukla, Esq.

Director of Public Policy

Ishani Chowdhury, M.B.A.

Director of Development and Outreach

Samir Kalra, Esq.

Arvind Chandrakantan, M.D.

We acknowledge the work of global human rights organizations – Amnesty

HINDUS ACROSS THE DIASPORA

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH

• In 1947, Hindus constituted nearly 30% of Bangladesh’s population. By 1991, 20

• Hindus of Bangladesh continue to be victims of ethnic cleansing waged by Islamic

Executive Summary i © Hindu American Foundation 2009

3) Bangladesh should set up a Human Rights Commission and a Minorities Commission

• Bhutan held its first National Assembly elections in 2008, transitioning to a

• Bhutan is a multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society.

Executive Summary ii © Hindu American Foundation 2009

2) Bhutan, Nepal and the UNHCR should adopt a Memorandum of Understanding

3) Donors, UN agencies and Bhutan's other partners should insist on measures to

REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS

• In Fiji, Hindus constitute approximately 34% of the Christian majority state.

Executive Summary iii © Hindu American Foundation 2009

4) The Fijian government must distance itself from Christian fundamentalists

INDIAN STATE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR

• India and Pakistan have fought major wars over Kashmir.

Executive Summary iv © Hindu American Foundation 2009

• Hindu activists and leaders have been systematically persecuted by government

4) The Malaysian Government should be urged to not discriminate in the allocation of

Executive Summary v © Hindu American Foundation 2009

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN

• Pakistan officially and routinely discriminates against non-Muslims through a variety

• Islamists continue to extend their influence throughout the Federally Administered

• Poor Hindus continue to be subjected to inhumane conditions through the bonded

2) Pakistan should reverse the 2005 decision mandating religious identification in

3) Pakistan should set up a Human Rights Commission and a National Minorities

Executive Summary vi © Hindu American Foundation 2009

THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

• Non-citizens are required to carry identity cards, which identify cardholders as

• Intolerance of other religions is embedded in the kingdom’s educational institutions.

Executive Summary vii © Hindu American Foundation 2009

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA

• The plight of innocent civilians continued to deteriorate as fighting between

Executive Summary viii © Hindu American Foundation 2009

• Indo-Trinidadians have been systematically denied government benefits and

2) The Trinidadian government should practice parity and equality in government

4) The Trinidadian government must distance itself from Christian fundamentalists

Executive Summary ix © Hindu American Foundation 2009

People’s Republic of Bangladesh .................................................................................................................... 3

Status of Human Rights, 2008 .................................................................................................................... 6

Violations of Constitution and International Law ..................................................................................... 11

Conclusion and Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 12

Kingdom of Bhutan ....................................................................................................................................... 16

Status of Human Rights, 2008 .................................................................................................................. 18

Violation of Constitution and International Law ...................................................................................... 21